Biomaterial Database

Menopausal estrogen replacement therapy and breast cancer. 1991

W D Dupont, and D L Page

Department of Preventive Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tenn. 37232-2637.

We conducted a meta-analysis of the literature concerning breast cancer and estrogen replacement therapy. The overall relative risk of breast cancer associated with this therapy was 1.07. However, the variation of the estimated risks among the studies was far greater than could plausibly be explained by chance alone. To explain this variation, we looked at the effects of type, duration, and dosage of treatment. Overall, women who took 0.625 mg/d or less of conjugated estrogens had a risk of breast cancer that was 1.08 times that of women who did not receive this therapy (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96 to 1.2). The relative risks from these individual studies of low-dosage therapy did not differ significantly from each other. Women who took 1.25 mg/d or more of conjugated estrogens had a breast cancer relative risk of 2.0 or less in all studies. However, the variation in observed risks at this higher dosage was significant. This implies that other risk factors varied among these studies, making it difficult to estimate the overall risk associated with this dosage. The relative risk of breast cancer associated with estrogen replacement therapy among women with a history of benign breast disease was 1.16 (95% CI, 0.89 to 1.5). The combined results from multiple studies provide strong evidence that menopausal therapy consisting of 0.625 mg/d or less of conjugated estrogens does not increase breast cancer risk.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008593	Menopause	The last menstrual period. Permanent cessation of menses (MENSTRUATION) is usually defined after 6 to 12 months of AMENORRHEA in a woman over 45 years of age. In the United States, menopause generally occurs in women between 48 and 55 years of age.	Change of Life, Female
D001941	Breast Diseases	Pathological processes of the BREAST.	Endocrine Breast Diseases,Breast Disease,Breast Disease, Endocrine,Breast Diseases, Endocrine,Disease, Breast,Disease, Endocrine Breast,Diseases, Breast,Diseases, Endocrine Breast,Endocrine Breast Disease
D001943	Breast Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the human BREAST.	Breast Cancer,Breast Tumors,Cancer of Breast,Breast Carcinoma,Cancer of the Breast,Human Mammary Carcinoma,Malignant Neoplasm of Breast,Malignant Tumor of Breast,Mammary Cancer,Mammary Carcinoma, Human,Mammary Neoplasm, Human,Mammary Neoplasms, Human,Neoplasms, Breast,Tumors, Breast,Breast Carcinomas,Breast Malignant Neoplasm,Breast Malignant Neoplasms,Breast Malignant Tumor,Breast Malignant Tumors,Breast Neoplasm,Breast Tumor,Cancer, Breast,Cancer, Mammary,Cancers, Mammary,Carcinoma, Breast,Carcinoma, Human Mammary,Carcinomas, Breast,Carcinomas, Human Mammary,Human Mammary Carcinomas,Human Mammary Neoplasm,Human Mammary Neoplasms,Mammary Cancers,Mammary Carcinomas, Human,Neoplasm, Breast,Neoplasm, Human Mammary,Neoplasms, Human Mammary,Tumor, Breast
D004334	Drug Administration Schedule	Time schedule for administration of a drug in order to achieve optimum effectiveness and convenience.	Administration Schedule, Drug,Administration Schedules, Drug,Drug Administration Schedules,Schedule, Drug Administration,Schedules, Drug Administration
D004967	Estrogens	Compounds that interact with ESTROGEN RECEPTORS in target tissues to bring about the effects similar to those of ESTRADIOL. Estrogens stimulate the female reproductive organs, and the development of secondary female SEX CHARACTERISTICS. Estrogenic chemicals include natural, synthetic, steroidal, or non-steroidal compounds.	Estrogen,Estrogen Effect,Estrogen Effects,Estrogen Receptor Agonists,Estrogenic Agents,Estrogenic Compounds,Estrogenic Effect,Estrogenic Effects,Agents, Estrogenic,Agonists, Estrogen Receptor,Compounds, Estrogenic,Effects, Estrogen,Effects, Estrogenic,Receptor Agonists, Estrogen
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D015201	Meta-Analysis as Topic	A quantitative method of combining the results of independent studies (usually drawn from the published literature) and synthesizing summaries and conclusions which may be used to evaluate therapeutic effectiveness, plan new studies, etc., with application chiefly in the areas of research and medicine.	Clinical Trial Overviews,Data Pooling,Overviews, Clinical Trial,Clinical Trial Overview,Data Poolings,Meta Analysis as Topic,Overview, Clinical Trial
D015914	Estrogen Replacement Therapy	The use of hormonal agents with estrogen-like activity in postmenopausal or other estrogen-deficient women to alleviate effects of hormone deficiency, such as vasomotor symptoms, DYSPAREUNIA, and progressive development of OSTEOPOROSIS. This may also include the use of progestational agents in combination therapy.	Hormone Replacement Therapy, Post-Menopausal,Postmenopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy,Replacement Therapy, Estrogen,Estrogen Progestin Combination Therapy,Estrogen Progestin Replacement Therapy,Estrogen Replacement,Replacement, Estrogen,Therapy, Estrogen Replacement,Estrogen Replacement Therapies,Estrogen Replacements,Hormone Replacement Therapy, Post Menopausal,Replacement Therapies, Estrogen,Replacements, Estrogen,Therapies, Estrogen Replacement