British government halts hormone replacement trial

9.30am

LONDON - Scientists have stopped a study into the long-term use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on Wednesday but said it was not due to safety concerns.

The decision by scientists at the government's Medical Research Council (MRC) on Wednesday came three months after American doctors halted a study into HRT after learning the drug can increase the risk of breast cancer, stroke and blood clots.

The UK decided at that time to continue with its study but said it would not recruit more women into it and appointed an Independent International Committee (IIC) of advisers to review the results of the American study and other research.

That committee has advised the MRC to stop the trial into a therapy followed by millions of women around the world to relieve symptoms of the menopause.

"It was a scientific reason, a feasibility reason but there were absolutely no concerns about safety," Philip Hannaford, an IIC member and professor at Aberdeen University, told Reuters.

He explained that one of the main reasons for halting the British Women's International Study of Long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause (WISDOM), which involved 5,700 women, was because the US findings and other trials showed HRT did not protect against heart disease.

"It was felt it was going to be unlikely WISDOM would find a protective effect against the disease," Hannaford said.

"The scientific case for carrying on WISDOM was weaker than before and there were serious reservations about the feasibility of carrying it on."

Women taking HRT or those involved in the WISDOM trial were advised to see their doctor before making any decisions about changing their treatment.

Ray Fitzpatrick, an Oxford University professor and chairman of the IIC, said there was strong evidence that taking HRT for many years raised the risk of some illnesses such as breast cancer and decreased the risk of others including osteoporosis, or brittle bone disease.

"However, there is no trial evidence that HRT protects women from cardiovascular disease and it may even increases their risk in the short term," he said in a statement.

The British Heart Foundation echoed the concerns of the IIC.

"This study is another confirmation of our understanding from recent evidence that HRT should not be prescribed solely to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease," said Belinda Linden, the head of medical information at the foundation.

The cancellation in July of the US study, called the Women's Health Initiative trial, left women confused about what to do.

An analysis of four major studies into the effects of HRT by scientists at the charity Cancer Research UK supported the US findings.

The review showed that women who took the treatment for five years had a higher risk of breast cancer, stroke and blood clots in the lung but were less likely to suffer from bowel cancer or hip fractures.

- REUTERS

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