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| |  Estrogen Reduces Risk Of Colorectal Cancer CHICAGO, IL -- October 28, 1999 -- Older women who use estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) have a substantially lower risk of getting colorectal cancer, according to a new study published in the October issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, the official journal of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS). Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common and second most deadly cancer in the United States. Of the approximately 130,000 Americans diagnosed with the disease in 1998, half were women. The 14-year observational study of 7,701 women, ranging from 44 to 98 years old, found that recent ERT users (those who were using ERT when they entered the study) had a one-third lower risk of getting colorectal cancer than lifetime nonusers (relative risk = 0.66; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.98). The risk was unaffected by duration or amount of dose or how the ERT was given. Women who had ever taken ERT had nearly a 20 percent reduction in risk of getting colorectal cancer (relative risk = 0.81; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.63 to 1.04). Recent ERT appeared to reduce colorectal cancer risk at all subsites. Risk of colon cancer, right-sided colon cancer, left-sided colon cancer, and rectal cancer was reduced to a similar degree as that for colorectal cancer overall. "The substantially lower risk of colorectal cancer among recent ERT users is another benefit that needs to be considered by postmenopausal women in deciding whether to use hormones," said study investigator Annlia Paganini-Hill, Ph.D., Professor of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California School of Medicine. "These data are additional factors that physicians can consider when putting together a plan to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer in their patients," commented ASCRS President H. Randolph Bailey, MD, Clinical Professor of Surgery, University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "Physicians particularly should consider prescribing estrogen replacement therapy in women who have other risk factors for colorectal cancer." At the beginning of the study, 4,308 women (56 percent) reported having used ERT. Among users, the median duration of ERT was nine years. Of those with a history of estrogen use, 1,303 (30 percent) were recent users. Study participants were initially free of cancer and self-reported their use of ERT. The American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) is the leading professional society of colorectal surgeons. The ASCRS represents more than 1,000 board-certified colon and rectal surgeons and other surgeons dedicated to advancing and promoting the science and practice of the treatment of patients with diseases and disorders affecting the colon, rectum, and anus. Diseases of the Colon & Rectum features original papers that significantly advance knowledge within the field of colon and rectal surgery. Contents of the journal include case reports, technical notes, and updates on recent advances in colorectal treatments.
Related Link: hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
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