Menopausal hormone-replacement therapy and breast cancer risk: An updated and simplified view

Abstract

Menopause, the menstrual cessation due to accelerated decline in ovarian function along with changes in the hormonal milieu, marks the end of reproductive fertility in women. This phenomenon is accompanied by various physiological and psychological symptoms, generally managed, and/or alleviated by menopausal hormone therapy (MHT). An association between MHT and the risk of developing breast cancer (BC), although controversial, is known for quite some time, particularly among combined MHT users. The risk varies with the time and type of MHT usage and persists after decades of treatment. The purpose of this review is to present an updated version of MHT and its association with postmenopausal BC risk.