National Cancer Institute National Cancer Institute
U.S. National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute
NCI Home Cancer Topics Clinical Trials Cancer Statistics Research & Funding News About NCI
IN THIS ISSUE
Experts Weigh in on Hormone Therapy

Risks & Benefits of Postmenopausal Use of Hormones

Animation/VideoAnimation/Video

Audio ClipsAudio Clips

Photos/StillsPhotos/Stills

USEFUL CANCER BACKGROUND
Understanding Cancer Series
Show-and-Tell Tutorials

------

NCI Fact Sheets
Briefs on Cancer Topics

------

NewsCenter
Press Releases

------
SEARCH BENCHMARKS
   
  Between these Dates:      
     
     
Search Benchmarks  
    View All Issues  

MEDIA RESOURCES
Noticias En Español

Understanding Cancer Series

Visuals Online

B-Roll Footage

Radio Broadcasts

Entertainment Resources

Go To Benchmarks Home Page...
Benchmarks
------
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8
------
Blood Clots (Venous Thromboembolism)


Get Printable Version  printable


The table below summarizes the available evidence on the risks and benefits of hormone therapy. Included are all randomized trials and meta-analyses looking at disease incidence or mortality. Inclusion of observational trials was dependent on size: case-control studies with 500 or more cases of the disease and cohort studies with at least 2,000 women are included here.

The year noted is when the study results were published. The name following the title of the study is the last name of the first author on the publication.

E = estrogen; P = progestin

Year

Study

Study Type

Participants

Hormones

Results

Other Notes

1996

Nurses' Health Study, Grodstein (B)

Cohort

112,593

E, E + P

Current use increases risk of pulmonary embolism 111%

No distinction between E and E + P; up to 16 years follow-up; no increased risk associated with past use

1998

Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS), Hulley

Randomized

2,763

E + P

Increases risk 189%

Average follow-up 4.1 years

2000

Estrogen in Venous Thromboembolism Trial, Hoibraaten

Randomized

140

E

Increased risk of recurrence

Participants had prior history of blood clots; trial stopped early with 10.7% recurrence in treatment group and 2.7% recurrence in placebo group

2002

Miller

Meta-analysis

12 studies:

3 randomized,

9 observational

E

Current use increases risk 214%

 

2002

Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study (HERS II), Hulley

Randomized

2,321

E + P

Increases risk 108% overall (6.8 years)

2.7 year extension of HERS with subset of participants from original study; 6.8 years total follow-up

2002

Women's Health Initiative

Randomized

16,608

E + P

Increases risk 111%

5.2 years follow-up


A Service of the National Cancer Institute
Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health USA.gov