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Estrogen and progesterone are naturally occurring hormones. Given to women to treat the
symptoms of menopause, they have been linked to increased risk of breast cancer.
Estrogen may also increase the risk of endometrial cancer, but progesterone helps protect against
this increased risk. Estrogen and progestin (a synthetic form of progesterone) taken together are
associated with increased risks of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blood clots. Women
who take oral contraceptives, which contain both estrogen and progesterone, may have increases
in early-onset breast cancers and liver cancer, but have substantially reduced risks of endometrial
and ovarian cancers.
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