Postmenopausal Estrogen Replacement and Breast Cancer

Abstract

AN epidemiologic study in this issue of the Journal ¹ could change the way we think about postmenopausal hormone replacement. In the report, 23,244 Swedish women identified from prescription records for the noncontraceptive use of estrogen were followed for an average of six years, and their risk of breast cancer was compared with that of other women from the same geographic area. Cases of breast cancer in the population were identified from a cancer registry. In the combined analysis of all women following all hormone-replacement regimens, estrogen use was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Nevertheless, at least . . .