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Breast cancer - managing family history - Management
Basis for recommendation
- These recommendations are based on the guideline from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) [McIntosh et al, 2004] and published expert opinion [Rees and Purdie, 2006].
- NICE reviewed the available evidence and concluded that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with an increase in the risk of breast cancer.
- The risk seems to be two-fold for women taking combined HRT for 10 years or more, but is small for short-duration use (up to 2 years).
- The risk associated with HRT disappears 5 years after stopping treatment.
- Evidence from a meta-analysis and a large prospective study suggests that women with a family history of breast cancer have the same relative risk increase from use of HRT as the general population.
For further information, see the CKS topic on Menopause.
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