Hormone replacement therapy can be administered through a skin patch or pill. istockphoto Most women in menopause who opt to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to manage symptoms that the "change of life" brings know there are risks that come with these drugs. While the hormones --synthetic estrogen and progestin -- can work magic to stop hot flashes, decades of research has identified a strong link between HRT and conditions such as heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. Now a new large scale study may add ovarian cancer to this list. An analysis of 52 studies involving 21,488 women, published Thursday in The Lancet, finds even short-term use of these drugs correlated with a higher risk for ovarian cancer -- as much as 40 percent higher than women who don't take hormones. The study is based on all prior research that investigates the connection. "This is the first big study like this to really come out and say ovarian cancer is an issue," Dr. Taraneh Shirazian, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science and a minimally invasive gynecological surgeon, told CBS News. "So far, really, we've only been talking about breast cancer and blood clots." The study found … Continue reading →

By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, Feb. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Women who use hormone therapy after menopause -- even for just a few years -- may have an increased risk of ovarian cancer, according to new research. The new study found that when women used hormone replacement therapy for less than five years after menopause, the risk of ovarian cancer increased by about 40 percent. "We have evidence, proof, that there is a small but real excess risk of cancer of the ovaries with hormone therapy use," said study researcher Sir Richard Peto, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Oxford, in England. Peto said the increased risk was significant from a statistical standpoint but emphasized that the risk is a small one. It would mean that for women who take hormone therapy for five years from around age 50, one extra ovarian cancer diagnosis for every 1,000 users would be expected, and one extra ovarian cancer death for every 1,700 users, the study found. It's also important to note that the current study wasn't designed to definitively show a cause-and-effect relationship between hormone replacement therapy and ovarian cancer. However, Peto and his colleagues contend … Continue reading →