BREAST-CANCER IN WOMEN WHO UNDERGO SCREENING MAMMOGRAPHY - RELATIONSHIP OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY TO STAGE AND DETECTION METHOD

PURPOSE: To compare the breast cancer stages and detection methods in screened women who receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with thos e in screened women who do not receive HRT to determine whether HRT af fects the stage or mammographic detection of malignancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred fifteen cases of breast cancer in women (age ran ge, 55-65 years) in whom at least one screening mammogram had been obt ained at least 24 months before diagnosis and in whom the history rega rding HRT could be determined were reviewed retrospectively. Statical analysis was performed with chi(2) analysis and the Fisher exact test. RESULTS: The cancer stages in the 58 women who receiver HRT were stag e 0 in 15 (26%), stage 1 in 28 (48%), stage II in 13 (22%), and stage III in two (3%) women. The stages in the 57 women who did not receive HRT were stage 0 in 19 (33%), stage I in 24 (42%), stage II in 11 (19% ), stage III in two (4%), and stage IV in one (2%) woman. Cancer in 38 (67%) of the women who did not receive HRT and in 38 (66%) of those w ho did receive HRT were detected with mammography alone, false-negativ e mammograms were obtained in five (9%) women in non-HRT group and in four (7%) women in the HRT group (P = .89). CONCLUSION: Among screened women who developed breast cancer, there were no significant differen ces in cancer stages or in the number of mammographically detected can cers or false-negative mammograms between the HRT group and the non-HR T group.