Women’s Health
Hormone Replacement Therapy and Ovarian Cancer: Weighing the Risks and Benefits
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a term that coincides with describing the replacement of a naturally occurring hormone when it is deficient. However, when we use the phrase within the context of women after menopause, it exclusively pertains to alleviating menopausal symptoms.
The sudden interruption of estrogen production can be very problematic for many women and often requires HRT with estrogen alone or in combination with progesterone to improve the quality of life. Nonetheless, the use of HRT has sparked a lot of conversation about its overall safety.
One major concern with HRT is the possible association this may have with certain malignancies, including ovarian cancer. These worries drove me to bring this debate to light by examining various studies and clinical trials to present a balanced view of the risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women.
The message behind the scenes becomes mixed when it comes to showing the link between HRT, be it combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (estrogen and progesterone) or estrogen-only HRT, and an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
