Hormone Replacement Therapy and the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence in Women With Previous Early Stage Breast Cancer

Summary

RATIONALE: Hormone replacement therapy is effective for relieving symptoms of menopause. It is not yet known if hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women previously treated for early stage breast cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to determine the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women with previous early stage breast cancer who are receiving hormone replacement therapy for menopause symptoms.

Timeline

Start

1997-09

Primary completion

—

Completion

2004-02

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper there was a clinically and statistically significant increased risk of a new breast cancer event in survivors who took HT. PMID 18364505 ↗

Publications

• Background Brincat M, Muscat Baron Y, Ciantar E. Hormone replacement in women with breast cancer: the HABITS study. Endocrine. 2004 Aug;24(3):255-7. doi: 10.1385/endo:24:3:255.
• Results Holmberg L, Iversen OE, Rudenstam CM, Hammar M, Kumpulainen E, Jaskiewicz J, Jassem J, Dobaczewska D, Fjosne HE, Peralta O, Arriagada R, Holmqvist M, Maenpaa J; HABITS Study Group. Increased risk of recurrence after hormone replacement therapy in breast cancer survivors. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2008 Apr 2;100(7):475-82. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djn058. Epub 2008 Mar 25.
• Results Holmberg L, Anderson H; HABITS steering and data monitoring committees. HABITS (hormonal replacement therapy after breast cancer--is it safe?), a randomised comparison: trial stopped. Lancet. 2004 Feb 7;363(9407):453-5. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)15493-7.

Drugs

Indications