GPs 'must warn' patients that HRT increases cancer risk, health chiefs say READ MORE: Only one in 5 women aware of hormone therapy cancer risks By Kate Pickles Health Editor For The Daily Mail and Eve Simmons Health Editor For Mailonline Published: 05:39 EST, 7 November 2024 | Updated: 05:50 EST, 7 November 2024 e-mail View comments Menopausal women must be warned that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can increase their risk of breast, ovarian and womb cancers, new NHS guidance states. The drugs, which ease hot sweats and night sweats, offer 'enormous benefits', say health chiefs, but downsides must be outlined so patients can make an informed decision. The new guidance includes special recommendations for counselling women over 45, when health risks of the hormones are thought to increase further.
Overall, the guidance states HRT is 'the preferred, recommended approach' for treating some menopausal symptoms. However it is 'unlikely to change life expectancy' and 'personalised discussions' with a GP should inform whether or not a patient takes it. It comes after England's health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), launched a probe into a celebrity-backed prviate menopause clinic over allegations it was prescribing patients very high doses of HRT.
More than a dozen patients from Newson Health — run by TV menopause guru Dr Louise Newson — told the BBC they'd suffered health problems due to the drugs. Some developed a thickening of their womb lining, a potential pr.
