Oxford University research has found that taking combined HRT (oestrogen and progesterone) has doubled the risk of developing breast cancer. Oxford University research had done this research eight years ago based on data from the Million Women study. In this study there were 1.13 million volunteers.

Taking oestrogen as single treatment increased the risk by 30 per cent.

Now Prof Valerie Beral has found that the enlarged risk is greatly reliant on when HRT is begun. He is the Oxford epidemiologist who leaded the study in the year 2003.

Several of them took the combined-therapy; the extra risk had dived to 53 per cent higher than the normal. Some of them waited at least five years after the start of menopause.

While some of them took therapy on oestrogen only, they had waited five years which appeared to reverse the extra peril in total. According to the authors, the new result of this study is that the period between menopause and starting hormonal treatment has a large effect on breast cancer risk. This has been investigated earlier as well.