Authors: Stuedal, A.¹; Ma, H.²; Bjørndal, H.³; Ursin, G.⁴

Source: Climacteric, Volume 12, Number 3, June 2009 , pp. 248-258(11)

Publisher: Informa Healthcare

Abstract:

Background Although a number of studies have evaluated the associations between use of postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) and mammographic density, few have assessed the effects of the medications containing estradiol (E2) plus norethisterone acetate (NETA). In particular, there are few data on the effects of the low-dose E2/NETA regimen. Methods We included data from 724 women, aged 50-70 years, residing in south-east Norway, who participated in a cross-sectional study conducted within the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. We assessed mammographic density using a previously validated computer-assisted method. Results After adjusting for age at screening, number of children and body mass index, women who currently used HT had 6.0% higher percent mammographic density than never-users, p < 0.0001. Women who used either low- or high-dose continuous combined E2/NETA regimens had 7.7% (p < 0.0001) and 8.8% (p < 0.0001) higher percent mammographic density than never-users, respectively. Conclusion Our study suggests that the effect of E2/NETA regimens on mammographic density could be at least as detrimental to the breast tissue as several other estrogen + progestin regimens. Our results suggest that both low- and high-dose E2/NETA influence mammographic density, but there were some indications in our analyses that the effect of low-dose E2/NETA could be slightly lower than that of the older high-dose regimen.

Keywords: MAMMOGRAPHIC DENSITY; HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY; LOW DOSE; ESTRADIOL/NORETHISTERONE ACETATE

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13697130802638458

Affiliations: 1: Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway 2: Division of Cancer Etiology, Department of Population Sciences, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, USA 3: NBCSP Akershus-Vest, BIK, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway 4: Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway,Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Cente, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Publication date: 2009-06-01

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