Women Who Stop HRT are Most Likely to Skip Mammograms as Well

A group of American researchers has found that women who stop taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to ease their menopausal symptoms also skip mammogram checks for breast cancer.

Researchers from the National Cancer Institute examined more than 7,000 women between 2000 and 2005 and found that many women who stopped HRT also stopped going to mammogram checks.

The researchers also found that those who continued HRT were more likely to undergo mammogram checks and talk with their GPs.

"Our research corroborates that a doctor's recommendation is an important step in getting a mammogram and it shows that when circumstances change - such as evidence about HRT - it can upset the balance and lead to unanticipated and undesirable changes in mammography use", lead researcher Nancy Breen said.