HRT causes cancer, warns WHO

Hormone replacement therapy definitely causes cancer in women, the World Health Organisation's cancer agency has found.

After an extensive review of existing research, the International Agency for Research on Cancer is reclassifying hormonal menopause therapy from "possibly carcinogenic to humans" to a definitive "carcinogenic to humans".

New Zealand health authorities say this merely confirms what they already knew and treatment guidelines for HRT would not change. The reclassification comes after several recent studies linking combination hormone replacement therapy to breast cancer. Medsafe senior adviser Dr Stewart Jessamine said New Zealand guidelines were developed in line with the findings of an extremely large study in the United Kingdom.

- Herald on Sunday