Breast cancer breakthrough

Published on Saturday 25 July 2009 19:28

TODAY we report a significant breakthrough in the understanding of the causes of breast cancer, with special relevance to the women who are most at risk. A Europe-wide survey has confirmed that women with a genetic predisposition towards breast cancer increase their risk of contracting the disease by taking the contraceptive pill or undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

For generations, women have worried about the possible effects of the pill and HRT. Their concern was aggravated by the lack of scientifically reliable information. The value of these new findings is that they at last enable women to confront some stark choices from an informed perspective. As such, this research is extremely valuable and potentially life-saving. The knowledge it provides gives much-increased clarity to the agonising choices thousands of women have to make when deciding whether the risk justifies the removal of their ovaries.

While this research is important to all women, it will be especially useful to those who are in the high-risk category due to carrying the BRCA gene mutations that expose them to a 50-80 per cent chance of contracting breast cancer. Previously, it was not known whether the increased risk for this category was due simply to genetic make-up or aggravated by exposure to oestrogen. Now, thanks to this new survey, the dangers posed by taking the pill or undergoing HRT have been confirmed, enabling women to make crucial choices, confidently and on an informed basis.