is estimated that cancer ends a human life every minute in the
United States, and that more than three million others currently
suffer from some form of the disease. Among women, breast cancer
is the second most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer
deaths. After menopause, many women use hormone replacement
therapy (HRT) to compensate for the body's natural decline in
hormone production. However, as a study in the Journal of the
American Medical Association suggests, the risks associated with
HRT use may outweigh the benefits. As part of a nationwide
breast cancer screening program called the Breast Cancer
Detection Demonstration Project, 46,355 postmenopausal women
were evaluated for duration and type of hormone use and
monitored for the incidence of breast cancer. Of particular
interest was the influence of estrogen, progestin, or a
combination of the two hormones on the risk of developing During
the 15-year study, 2,082 cases of breast cancer were identified.
Women taking the progestin-estrogen co