September 20, 2009

expert reaction to new research on hormone replacement therapy, as published in The Lancet

The research found a link between use of a form of HRT and higher mortality rates in lung cancer, adding to concerns over the potential health impacts of HRT use.

Prof Valerie Beral, Director of Cancer Research UK’s Cancer Epidemiology Unit, said:

“Many studies have shown that HRT can cause cancers of the breast and ovary. This new result for lung cancer is based on small numbers and could be a chance finding. But the government’s recommendation that women use HRT for as short a time as possible would still apply.”