The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has advised women using Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to discuss the treatment with their doctor after new research linked its use with an increased risk of breast cancer.
The research - published yesterday in the British medical journal the Lancet- claimed that women who use a certain type of HRT are twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who do not use any form of HRT at all.
The study of more than one million participants, found that post-menopausal women using the combined oestrogen-progestagen treatment were at a greater risk than those using other types of HRT.
Research found the risk increased by 45 per cent among users of tibolone, another form of the treatment, and by 30 per cent among users of oestrogen-only HRT.
In a statement the IMB said the that the results of the study do not necessitate urgent treatment changes.
"However, it is recommended the women discuss their treatment with their doctor, as each case should be evaluated in light of each individual's ultimate medical benefits from the treatment.
"The IMB advises that the increased risk of breast cancer associated with HRT products has been recognised since these products were first marketed in Ireland and has been the subject of ongoing review by the IMB and its EU counterparts . . . with regulatory action initiated, as appropriate," the statement added.
The IMB goes on to warn that HRT products available in Ireland "clearly state that they should not be prescribed for women with a past history of breast cancer or suspected breast cancer and should only be prescribed with caution for women with a family history of breast cancer".
HRT products are prescribed for the relief of acute menopausal symptoms (such as hot flushes, night sweats) and the prevention of osteoporosis.
