Hormones and risk of breast cancer
Onnis, A.; Marchetti, M.; Graziottin, A.
European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology 4(1): 13-17
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0392-2936 PMID: 6305660 Document Number: 214537
This paper reports the results of a study of 50 menopausal women receiving hormonal replacement therapy. The majority (29) had surgical menopause; their mean age was 45.7 years. It was hypothesized that progestins could equilibrate the effects of the estrogenic stimulation on the mammary and endometrial target tissues of women on hormonal replacement therapy. The treatment schedule consisted of conjugated estrogens (Premarin) 1.25 mg/day for 21 days and Medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg/day for 10 days in each month. The mean treatment period was 18 months. During the follow-up period, attention was paid to breast modifications as evidenced by symptomatology, physical examination, and plate thermography. Mastodynia was reported by 21 patients, and physical examination revealed a light increase in breast firmness in 12 women and a moderate increase in breast nodularity in 2 women. Themography confirmed the existence of an excessive breast stimulation in 1 women who complained of moderate mastodynia and in 5 of the 7 women who complained of severe mastodynia. Normalization was obtained by halving the estrogen dose. These results suggest that hormonal replacement therapy can be safely prescribed if the following criteria are satisfied: 1) preliminary evaluation of patients from a clinical, metabolic, cytologic, and mammographic perspective; 2) cyclic treatment schedule, with a progestative phase of 10 days; and 3) periodic complete follow-up, with accurate thermographic evaluation of the breast target tissues.