For many of us, going through hormone changes and "the change of life" can be unpleasant.  For many women suffering through hot flashes, struggling with fatigue, and just not feeling themselves have turned to hormone replacement therapies to help ease them into menopause and keep them sane.  Other women with hormone deficiencies and health related problems have also turned to these therapies because it's shown to help with issues such as heart disease.  But this therapy has also stirred up a lot of concern amongst researchers.  Just recently, researchers showed that the use of progesterone was causing women to have invasive breast cancer.  Resulting in progesterone therapies to be halted until further testing is done.  Now researchers are warning women on this therapy to look at the impact of long term use of the hormones because their research is suggesting that hormone replacement therapies used for long periods of time are showing that women are 80% more likely to be develop breast cancer. (See full story)

Here are just some of the results from the study:

Chen's current research looked at data from the Nurses Health Study from 1980 to 2008, which tracked the health of about 60,000 nurses. It looked at women who used estrogen or estrogen plus progesterone for more than 10 years and found:

– Estrogen plus progesterone use for 10 to 14.9 years had an 88% higher incidence of breast cancer
– Estrogen plus progesterone use for 15 to 19.9 years had an increase risk of “more than twofold”
– Estrogen use alone for 10 to 14.9 years had a 22% increased risk of breast cancer
– Estrogen alone for 15 to 19.9 years had a 43% increased risk of breast cancer

(CNN News Story)

I know for many of us it's hard to take these "studies/findings" seriously when they seem to change as quickly as the weather, but this is one study that I personally believe is true.  My grandmother has been fighting an uphill battle with cancer for years.  And the doctors believe that her breast cancer all started from hormone therapy that she took a long time back to help her cope during the changes she experienced. But I want to know what you think...

What are your thoughts about hormone therapy?  What are your thoughts on this study?  Do you believe it or think the findings will just change in a year and say that hormone replacement is a life saver?