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| carcinoma and that use for eight years or more was associated with significantly higher risk, Studies from Italy and the United States also provide evidence that OCs may cause liver cancer. 8 |
| The risks associated with the use of synthetic hormones should be carefully weighed by each woman. There are many herbs and nutrients that are extremely effective for relieving menopausal symptoms and protecting against heart disease and osteoporosis. |
| Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), a progesterone, is a long-acting injectable contraceptive used in many areas of the world. One might assume that if estrogens alone can cause breast cancer, then DMPA should decrease breast cancer risk because the regimen prevents ovulation and does not include any exposure to exogenous estrogen. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In fact, the results of studies from Costa Rica and New Zealand suggest that progesterone may act like estrogen to stimulate breast cell growth.9,10 |
| Based on the overall evidence from recent studies, long-term use of ERT may carry with it an increased risk of breast cancer. Whether or not adding a progesterone to ERT lowers breast cancer risk has not been well evaluated. In a Swedish study, women who received combined estrogen-progesterone treatment had a 4.4-fold greater risk of breast cancer with more than six years of use than women with no history of HRT use. The results of this study are compatible with results of the most recent studies of DMPA and breast cancer described above. Together these studies suggest that progesterone may enhance the carcinogenic effect of ERT on the breast. This phenomenon suggests that progesterone, in conjunction with the luteal-phase estradiol peak, could stimulate breast tissue mitotic activity and increase breast cancer risk.11 |
| Case reports of endometrial cancer occurring in women after the use of estrogens have appeared in the medical literature for more than thirty years. Nearly all studies demonstrate a strong association between estrogen use and disease risk related to both dosage and duration of use. |
| More About Free Radicals and Cellular Damage |
| It is widely accepted among researchers that the switching on of cancerous growth is a multistage process. At any given time, most people probably carry one or more cells in some precancerous stage, and the process from stage to stage may be reversed or advanced by external factors. These external factors are carcinogens and anticarcinogens found in one's diet, environment, and personal habits. |
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