Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer

Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer

“In women with a low underlying risk of breast cancer
(i.e. most of the population), the symptomatic benefits
of HRT use for up to five years will exceed potential harm”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Breast Cancer
  • Cancer of the Breast
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)

Date

Can it be important to be clear about the date of hormone therapy (HT) information?

It can be important to be clear about the date of all information including the date of HT information, because this information may have been updated.

Symptoms or Chronic Conditions

Can it be important to be clear about whether HT information is for the management of menopausal symptoms or the prevention of chronic conditions?

It can be important to be clear about whether HT information is for the management of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness or for the prevention of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.

Type

Can it be important to be clear about the type of HT?

It can be important to be clear about whether the type of HT is for those who have a uterus and need combined HT compared to those who do not have a uterus and need estrogen alone HT.

Options

Can it be important to be clear about HT options?

It can be important to be clear about HT options e.g.pill or patch, because different options may have different breast cancer risks.

Vaginal Oestrogen

Can it be important to be clear about whether HT information is for the use of vaginal estrogen?

It can be important to be clear about whether HT information is for the use of vaginal estrogen.

Breast Cancer History

Can it be important to be clear about whether HT information is for those who have no history of breast cancer or for those who have a history of breast cancer ?

It can be important to be clear about whether HT information is for those who have no history of breast cancer or for those who have a history of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Risk

What is currently known about breast cancer risk and HT or HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)?

In Does HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Increase Breast Cancer Risk? updated on 08 January 2026, the (United States) Breastcancer.org explain:

“HRT is an effective treatment for menopausal symptoms. But some types of HRT can increase the risk of breast cancer in people with specific risk factors”.2 

On page one in Fast Facts: HRT and Breast Cancer Risk, updated September 2025, the British Menopause Society include:

“HRT and the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer

  • In women with a low underlying risk of breast cancer (i.e. most of the population), the symptomatic benefits of HRT use for up to five years will exceed potential harm
  • Where risk with HRT is estimated to be elevated, the degree conferred is considered small
  • Most women will not be diagnosed with breast cancer as a result of their exposure to HRT”.3

Breast Cancer Screening

If a woman chooses to use HT, what is important about breast cancer screening?

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Risks – Breast Cancer the (United Kingdom) NHS note:

“It’s especially important to attend all your breast screening (mammogram) appointments if you’re taking HRT”.4

Breast Cancer History

Is HT not recommended for those with a history of breast cancer?

In Does HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Increase Breast Cancer Risk? Breastcancer.org explain:

“But if you have a history of breast cancer, decisions about whether to take certain types of HRT may be more fraught because they could increase your risk of breast cancer coming back (recurring).

“Having a detailed conversation with your doctors is important because the risks and benefits are going to vary tremendously from person to person depending on their health, risk for various diseases, menopausal symptoms, and the type of HRT they’re considering taking,” says Carol Fabian, MD, a breast medical oncologist and researcher who studies ways of addressing menopausal symptoms. Fabian is also director of the Breast Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Research Center at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, KS”.5

Questions To Ask

What questions may you want to ask about HT and your breast cancer risk?

In Does HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Increase Breast Cancer Risk? What This May Mean for You Breastcancer.org explain:

“Some questions you may want to ask your doctor:

  • What is my personal risk of breast, ovarian, endometrial, and other types of cancer? How will this risk be affected by HRT?
  • What is my personal risk of other conditions that HRT can affect, such as heart disease and stroke?
  • Which type(s) of HRT, if any, would you recommend for me?
  • Would vaginal estrogen be a good option for me?
  • What other options are there — including non-hormonal medicines, complementary therapies, and lifestyle changes — to treat menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis?”6

Follow-Up

If I choose to use HT how can I follow up?

The (United States) Mayo Clinic note:

  • “Get regular follow-up care. See your healthcare professional regularly to make sure the benefits of menopause hormone therapy continue to outweigh the risks. You also should continue to have regular screenings, such as mammograms, blood pressure measurement and cervical cancer screening”.7

Health Care Provider

If I choose to use HT what should I do ?

On page four of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks – Summary, reviewed July 2026, the (British Women’s Health Concern, note:

“Women wishing to start HRT should discuss the benefits and risks of treatment with their healthcare professional to determine what is right for them, taking into account their age, medical history, individual risk factors and personal preferences”.8

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

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U.S. Menopausal Hormone Therapy Labeling To Be Updated, 10 November 2025

New or Updated

  1. Ask Dr Louise Newson Anything | Live Q&A
  2. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  3. Hormone Therapy and Breast CancerBMS TV: HRT and Breast Cancer: Overall Risks and Benefits
  4. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  5. Breast Cancer
  6. Breast Cancer Awareness
  7. Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2026 [01 – 31 October 2026]
  8. Breast Cancer Awareness Month [October, Australia]
  9. Breast Cancer Awareness Month [October, United Kingdom]
  10. Breast Cancer Awareness Month [October, United States]
  11. Breast Cancer Risk Factors
  12. Breast Cancer: Risk Factors
  13. Breastcancer.org
  14. Breastcancernow.org
  15. Cancer Diagnosis: 11 Tips for Coping
  16. Compounded Hormone Treatments: Separating the Myths From the Evidence | Dr Louise Newson Live Q&A [10 September 2026]
  17. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
  18. Complementary & Alternative Therapies: Non-Hormonal Treatments for Menopause Symptoms
  19. Complementary Medicines and Therapies for Hot Flushes
  20. Complementary Medicines and Therapies: Options for Menopausal Symptoms
  21. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Lifestyle Modification and Prevention of Breast Cancer
  22. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  23. Deciding About Hormone Therapy
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  25. Does HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Increase Breast Cancer Risk?
  26. Emerging Research In the Management of Menopausal Symptoms
  27. Emotional Wellness In Menopause
  28. Endometrial Safety of Low-Dose Vaginal Estrogens
  29. Endometrial Safety of Low-Dose Vaginal Estrogens [Video]
  30. Estrogen Dependent Cancers
  31. Estrogen Therapy and Breast Cancer In Randomized Clinical Trials: A Narrative Review
  32. Evolving Approaches To Vasomotor Symptoms In Menopause: Novel Pathways and Emerging Therapies [14 Episodes]
  33. Evolving Approaches To Vasomotor Symptoms in Menopause: Novel Pathways and Emerging Therapies
  34. Experts Reassess Hormone Therapy After Breast Cancer [+ Video]
  35. Fast Facts: HRT and Breast Cancer Risk
  36. Find A Member [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
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  38. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  39. Finding the Right Hormone Treatments (HRT): Types, Doses and What Works
  40. Flawed Studies Linking Hormone Therapy To Breast Cancer Made Doctors Reluctant To Prescribe It For Menopause Relief – Especially for Breast Cancer Survivors
  41. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
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  43. HRT Types and Doses | Dr Louise Newson
  44. HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
  45. HRT, Breast Cancer and the Real Risks of Not Taking Hormones
  46. HRT, Misinformation and Navigating the Menopause Media Minefield With Kaye Adams
  47. HRT: How To Find the Right Dose & Type | Dr Louise Newson
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  49. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  50. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): A Summary
  51. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks
  52. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  53. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Types of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  54. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
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  58. How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
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  60. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) [+ Video: Is HRT Bad for You?] [Other Languages and Formats]
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    Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer
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  73. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
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  76. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Cancer and Complementary Health Approaches: What You Need To Know
  77. Navigating Menopause Care Resource Guide
  78. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: Lifestyle Medicine
  79. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2026: New IMS Recommendations – Evidence-Based Management of Vasomotor Symptoms
  80. Pros and Cons of HRT Patches
  81. Reassessing Hormone Therapy After Breast Cancer [+ Video]
  82. Relationship Between Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Incidence Risk of Breast Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  83. Testosterone Use In Menopausal Women [17 September 2026]
  84. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause
  85. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
  86. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials and Clinical Practice
  87. The Women’s Health Initiative Randomized Trials of Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer: Findings In Context
  88. The Women’s Health Initiative Trials: Clinical Messages
  89. ‘Tis But A Scratch: A Critical Review of the Women’s Health Initiative Evidence Associating Menopausal Hormone Therapy With the Risk of Breast Cancer
  90. Topical Vaginal Oestrogen for Breast Cancer Patients
  91. Type of Menopausal Hormone Therapy May Influence Cancer Risk
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  93. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: The Women’s Health Initiative – What Can We Believe?
  94. Why We’re Turning the Shower Into A Breast-Checking Reminder, With A Little Help From Taika Waititi [05 October 2026]
  95. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
  96. World Menopause Day 2024: The IMS White Paper – Menopause and MHT In 2024: Addressing the Key Controversies [Multiply Languages]
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    Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Fast Facts: HRT and Breast Cancer Risk. September 2025. British Menopause Society https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/12-NEW-BMS-ToolsforClinicians-Fast-Facts-HRT-and-Beast-Cancer-Risk-SEPT2025-B.pdf Accessed: 08 October 2026
  2. Does HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Increase Breast Cancer Risk? Updated: 08 January 2026. Breastcancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/using-hormone-replacement-therapy Accessed: Accessed: 08 October 2026
  3. Fast Facts: HRT and Breast Cancer Risk. Updated: September 2025. British Menopause Society https://thebms.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/12-NEW-BMS-ToolsforClinicians-Fast-Facts-HRT-and-Beast-Cancer-Risk-SEPT2025-B.pdf Accessed: 08 October 2026
  4. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Risks – Breast Cancer. Page Last Reviewed: 08 February 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/risks/#breast-cancer Accessed: 08 October 2026
  5. Does HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Increase Breast Cancer Risk? Updated: 08 January 2026. Breastcancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/using-hormone-replacement-therapy Accessed: Accessed: 08 October 2026
  6. Does HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) Increase Breast Cancer Risk? What This May Mean for You. Updated: 08 January 2026. Breastcancer.org https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/risk-factors/using-hormone-replacement-therapy Accessed: 08 October 2026
  7. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You? If You Take Menopause Hormone Therapy How Can You Reduce Your Risk? 18 April 2025. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/in-depth/hormone-therapy/art-20046372 Accessed: 08 October 2026
  8. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks – Summary. July 2026:4. Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/11-NEW-WHC-FACTSHEET-HRT-BenefitsRisks-JULY2026-A.pdf Accessed: 08 October 2026
Topic Last Updated: 08 October 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 08 October 2026

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