HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN THE MENOPAUSE - A PRO OPINION

Data clearly show that hormone replacement therapy reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Howe ver, questions still exist about the risk-benefit ratio in women with a history of estrogen-dependent tumors. The authors argue that objecti ve evidence now indicates that the protective effects of estrogen may well exceed the theoretical and unproven cancer risks, and they argue that until data from prospective, randomized trials are available, rec ommendations regarding hormone replacement therapy in cancer survivors must be individualized.