Breast Cancer Health Center

New Clues on Breast Cancer Decline

Does HRT Cause Breast Cancer? continued...

In an editorial accompanying the study, Berry noted that if HRT caused ER+ breast cancers, the decline in cancers as women stopped the therapy would be far more gradual than what was seen in 2003.

“It is conceivable that some of these cancers would never show up without this fuel, but we don’t know that,” he tells WebMD.

Another unanswered question, Berry says, is whether the recent decline in breast cancer incidence will translate into a large drop in cancer deaths.

Since the drop was largely confined to more highly treatable hormone-sensitive breast cancers, he says it may not.

“It is quite possible and indeed likely, that the [decline] we are seeing will have minimal if any effect on breast cancer mortality,” he says.

The decision to use HRT is made in collaboration with your doctor and is based on risk factors, such as personal medical history and family history and benefits. If the decision to use HRT for menopausal symptoms is made, most menopause groups now recommend using HRT in the lowest effective dosage for the shortest time possible to treat hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.

• If you’re in the early stages of breast cancer and need support, you can find other women like you on WebMD's Breast Cancer: Friend to Friend message board.