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Is the decrease in breast cancer incidence related to a decrease in postmenopausal hormone therapy?
Author(s) -
Gompel A.,
PluBureau G.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05664.x
Subject(s) - breast cancer , hormone therapy , incidence (geometry) , postmenopausal women , medicine , hormone , hormone replacement therapy (female to male) , oncology , gynecology , cancer , physiology , testosterone (patch) , physics , optics
Following the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) publication in mid 2002, a drastic decrease in hormone therapy for postmenopausal women has been observed worldwide. Since 2007, the reported incidence in breast cancer has declined. Most authors have linked this decline to the reduction in hormone treatment. In this paper we discuss why these ecological observations are not fully convincing and focus on the importance of screening and variations in other risk factors to interpret this decline in breast cancer.