A new U.S. study suggests that Prempro, a hormone drug used to relieve women’s menopausal syndrome, may be associated with an increased risk of death in women with lung cancer. For this reason, they recommend that menopausal women approach similar hormone replacement therapies with caution. Prempro, manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, is a combination drug containing estrogen and progesterone, which has been controversial for its effectiveness in delaying menopause in women but has been suspected of having an increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer and stroke. Researchers at the UCLA Harper Medical Center studied 16,608 menopausal women. The women did not develop lung cancer at the beginning of the study, but by the end of the study, some of them had developed lung cancer for a variety of reasons. The researchers divided the subjects into two groups, one taking Prempro and the control group taking a placebo. The results of the study showed that while taking Prempro did not increase the risk of non-small cell lung cancer among the respondents, for those who developed the disease for multiple reasons, taking Prempro increased their risk of death by twice as much as the control group. Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for about 80 percent of all lung cancer cases. The researchers noted that the findings again suggest that people should be more cautious about using hormone replacement therapy to treat menopausal syndrome, and that lower doses should be considered for those who are already taking this therapy. In addition, the researchers especially do not recommend hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women who smoke, as smoking is one of the major causes of lung disease. The researchers reported these findings at the Oncology Society meeting in Florida, USA. Science for Life: Do women need estrogen replacement therapy during menopause? Hormone therapy was born in the 1940s and is mainly used to improve menopausal syndrome. More than 40% of menopausal women in the United States alone take estrogen replacement drugs, but only 1% of menopausal women in China receive estrogen therapy, and many members of the public are not familiar with this treatment, especially since some menopausal syndrome patients have concerns about the safety of the treatment. Will this therapy be a boon for women going through menopause? There are four major misconceptions about menopause among women in China “There are currently four major misconceptions about menopause among Chinese women, and the lack of treatment for symptoms of menopausal syndrome has seriously reduced the quality of life. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen the popularization of knowledge about menopause among women so that they can receive proper guidance and treatment.” Xu Ling, a doctoral supervisor and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, emphasized that these four major misconceptions are: that women’s menopause is a natural physiological process that does not require treatment; that menopausal symptoms are only hot flashes, night sweats and mood swings; that there is excessive fear of hormone therapy and the use of hormone-based drugs; and that hormone therapy is a panacea for eternal youth. Xu Ling believes that guidance and education on menopause for women should be strengthened, and those with severe symptoms need to undergo hormone therapy under the guidance of a professional doctor. Hormone therapy can significantly improve menopausal symptoms, improve quality of life, and prevent menopause-related diseases, which is one of the important measures to slow down aging and improve quality of life. At the same time, Xu Ling also stressed that hormone therapy is not a panacea for eternal youth and should not be abused. “The statement that ‘hormone therapy is necessary after the age of 40 and that hormones can delay ovarian aging and postpone menopause’ is not scientific; and those who are scared of hormones and choke on them are not necessary.” The human organism is an organically integrated whole. As a woman ages, her reproductive organs, the ovaries, gradually move from activation and vigor to decline. Menopause is the period from the decline of ovarian function to one year after menopause, usually starting at age 40 and lasting 10 to 20 years, during which estrogen levels in the body gradually decline due to the decline of ovarian function, eventually leading to menopause. A series of clinical changes occur in the genitourinary system, cardiovascular system and bones (especially the long bones), which are the target tissues of estrogen, including urinary tract infections, vaginal dryness or vaginitis, uterine prolapse, cardiovascular disease, and bouts of hot flashes, irritability and psychological abnormalities. Menopause is an important stage in a woman’s life process, and long-term estrogen deficiency can cause a significant increase in the incidence of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and osteoporosis. HRT can be used to improve the quality of life of postmenopausal women. The main indications for HRT are: menopausal symptoms that seriously affect normal life; unstable cardiovascular and motor function; atrophy of the genitourinary tract; neurological and psychiatric symptoms; and prevention of osteoporosis and coronary heart disease. The important side effects it may cause are: it may increase the load of liver disease; blind application has an increased risk of breast cancer or endometrial cancer. Therefore, it is contraindicated in patients with estrogen-related tumors (breast cancer, endometrial cancer, melanoma), severe liver and kidney disease, and recent thromboembolism, and patients with diabetes, gynecological disorders, or a family history of breast cancer must be used with caution under medical supervision.