Oestrogen plus progestogen increased risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women
Q In postmenopausal women, does oestrogen plus progestogen hormone therapy increase the risk of abnormal mammographic results and diagnosis of breast cancer?
randomised, placebo controlled trial (Women’s Health Initiative).
blinded (clinicians, participants, data collectors, outcome assessors, and monitoring committee).
Follow up period:
mean 5.6 years.
40 US clinical centres.
16 608 postmenopausal women who were 50–79 years of age (mean age 63 y). Exclusion criteria: previous hysterectomy, breast cancer, or probable survival <3 years.
1 daily tablet of conjugated equine oestrogen, 0.625 mg, and medroxyprogesterone acetate, 2.5 mg (Prempro, Wyeth Ayerst, Philadelphia, PA, USA) (n = 8506) or placebo (n = 8102).
incidence of breast cancer (total, invasive, and in situ) and …