Hormone pills
double breast cancer risk, study finds

Menopausal women who take hormone pills that combine estrogen and testosterone more than double their risk of breast cancer, according to a new study. The findings come from the work of 70,000 nurses and were published in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

"This type of hormone therapy may help with mood, libido, and bone mineral density, but the possible risk of breast cancer may outweigh these benefits," said study coauthor Rulla Tamimi of Harvard Medical School.

The nurses' findings add to growing evidence that certain hormone supplements increase the risk of breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack in women. (The Advocate)