HRT appears safe in BRCA1 associated breast cancer

A US study of post-menopausal carriers of the BRCA1 mutation has shown that hormone replacement therapy did not increase the risk of recurrent breast cancer and may actually have a protective effect . Women who are carriers of a BRCA1 mutation have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of between 60 and 80%. This is decreased by surgical oophorectomy before menopause, and this is believed to be due to the withdrawal of ovarian hormones. There are controversies surrounding the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in such women....