Women who use combined hormone therapy for more than five year are more likely to have mammograms that can lead to a false positive result of breast cancer and subsequent breast biopsy. These are the findings of a new study by researchers at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Combined hormone therapy involves intake of hormones estrogen and progestin. Following menopause the level of these hormones in a woman's body falls drastically, leading to typical menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

HRT is most often used to treat symptoms of menopause such as vaginal dryness, mood swings, sleep disorders, and decreased sexual desire.

However HRT has bee linked with an increased incidence of breast cancer, stroke and dangerous blood clots in post-menopausal women. In 1993 a large study was launched by the Women's Health Initiative in order to explore links between HRT use and breast cancer risk. The findings of the study led millions of women to discard the option of HRT altogether.

The new study involved 16,608 women who originally participated in the WHI from 1993 to 1998. Researchers had randomly assigned the women to receive combine hormone therapy consisting of estrogen plus progesterone or a dummy pill.

All women underwent mammograms o\and breast exams on an annual basis and breast biopsies were performed if required.

Researchers found increased mammogram abnormalities in women who took combine HRT for five years or more.
* Around one in ten of women in HRT group had avoidable mammogram abnormalities.
* Some one out of 25 women in the same group had avoidable breast biopsies.

Furthermore biopsies were able to detect only 14.8 percent of breast cancers in the HRT group as compared to 19.6 percent in the placebo group. Lead researcher Dr. Rowan Chlebowski said HRT was safer today than it was thought to be some 18 months ago.

"But for women trying to decide whether to start on hormone therapy or who want to see if their symptoms get better, they have to think about whether they would mind having a call back," he added. The details of the study appear in the February 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

HRT is not without risks as borne out by a number of studies. The ultimate decision then rests with women, who must determine their own preferences and arrive at informed decisions.

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