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Supplemental estrogen replacement
Author(s) -
Marchant Douglas J.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/cncr.2820741340
Subject(s) - medicine , life expectancy , hormone replacement therapy (female to male) , breast cancer , estrogen , osteoporosis , estrogen replacement therapy , disease , menopause , postmenopausal women , coronary heart disease , intensive care medicine , cancer , cause of death , hormone replacement , gynecology , gerontology , population , environmental health , testosterone (patch)
In the current aging society, more than 30 million women have an average postmenopausal life expectancy of 28 years. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in older women, and osteoporosis results in an estimated 1.5 million fractures per year. Various studies have suggested that postmenopausal estrogen‐replacement therapy could reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions. Given the uncertainty about hormone interactions and the molecular genetics of breast cancer, it seems unwise to inject yet another element into the prognostic equation, and currently it is not recommended that estrogen‐replacement therapy be used routinely in patients who have been treated successfully for breast cancer. The final decision, of course, rests with the patient and her treating physicians and is subject to medical/legal interpretation.