Some women receive hormone therapy to cope with menopause symptoms. How safe is HT?
We encourage women to try safer alternatives before using HT. Postmenopausal use of HT increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer.
The Women’s Health Initiative showed that women who took combined hormone therapy (estrogen and progestin) had a bigger risk of breast cancer. There also may be a higher risk for women taking estrogen alone, but study results on this risk are still inconclusive.
Some studies also suggest that using HT after menopause may slightly increase ovarian cancer risk. Generally, the longer you use hormone therapy, the more your cancer risk appears to increase.
That said, one study actually showed that women who used HT had a smaller risk of colorectal cancer. But the increase in breast cancer risk is still bigger than the decreased risk for colon cancer. So HT risks tend to outweigh any benefits.
Speak with your doctor before using hormone therapy. Make sure you understand all the benefits and harms before you start taking them.