Selective estrogen receptor modulators offer a safer alternative than HRT.(hormone replacement therapy)

2003 JAN 9 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As scientific evidence mounts linking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to breast cancer and other illnesses, a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) is emerging as a safer and more versatile alternative to prevent and treat the symptoms and complications of menopause.

SERMs may be the preferred choice to HRT by mitigating the risk of breast cancer but maintaining many of the therapeutic benefits, according to findings in a recent study published in the January 1, 2003, issue of Cancer. SERMs act at the level of the estrogen receptor but appear to have either estrogenic or antiestrogenic effects depending on the tissue. Because of this tissue-specific activity, SERMs are potentially a versatile drug class that offers the prospect of developing individualized, targeted treatments.

SERMs, the authors declared, "may ultimately provide women and their physicians with the ability to make safe and confident selections from a repertoire of medications that promise to expand life span and improve quality of life for women after menopause."

For decades now HRT in estrogen - alone or combined estrogen-progesterone forms - has been used by millions of women to alleviate the unwanted symptoms associated with menopause, such as flushing, mood swings, and night sweats. HRT also prevents such postmenopausal complications as urogenital atrophy, osteoporosis, and osteoporotic fractures; it prolongs life expectancy and protects women from colorectal cancer, neurocognitive dysfunction, and Alzheimer disease.

However, HRT has been linked to a significant and growing number of adverse effects. The observed risk of breast cancer with HRT has long alarmed patients and physicians and dissuaded many from using or prescribing HRT. With new revelations from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial about the increased risk of coronary artery disease and strokes, many women have stopped using HRT altogether. This has left scientists searching for a safer alternative.

Evelyn Diamanti-Kandarakis et al. reviewed the literature to investigate the risks and benefits of HRT and SERMs. The authors also examined their respective clinical and cellular effects on breast tissue to assess the potential of selective modulation of estrogen receptors to treat postmenopausal women.

HRT's proven efficacy to prevent osteoporosis, osteoporotic fractures, and specific cancers and alleviate the vasomotor and central nervous system disturbances of menopause are its greatest benefit. However, recent studies have also proved its substantial risks. ...