Breast cancer is obviously a major health concern for millions of women worldwide. However, some women undergoing the sometimes severe symptoms of menopause may not consider that a common type of treatment for menopausal symptoms—hormone replacement therapy or HRT—can potentially increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. In fact, according to recent research, breast cancer survivors who also participated in treatment with HRT were three times more likely to redevelop breast cancer than women who had not participated in HRT.

However, although many studies have been performed, the answer as to whether replacement therapy may actually cause breast cancer is still unclear, and the answers will probably not be clear for some time. Doctors may advise their individual patients differently depending on the patient’s health and history. If a patient has a personal or family history of breast cancer, her doctor may recommend she consider an alternative to replacement therapy. However, many scientific professionals advocate that the ultimate decision is still left up to the patient. Since there are no definite answers, only contrasting studies, it is up to the patient to decide if choosing replacement therapy is the right decision for her. A patient suffering only moderate symptoms of menopause may wish to consider an alternative to HRT. However, a patient afflicted with more severe symptoms may find her only solace in the therapy.

Some doctors are advising patients who wish to pursue HRT to consider each decision a short term one. Should their patients decide to use HRT, they can be closely monitored and tested for any abnormal side effects. The patients can determine after a few months or a couple of years if they would like to continue the therapy depending on their risks or the results of more recent studies. Scientists have warned that the effects of HRT are cumulative, so the longer women take the therapy, the more likely they are to risk developing breast cancer if they were already prone to it. Therefore, all women should take the lowest dose necessary and take the therapy for only as long as they need it to control their symptoms.