[Assessment of selected neoplastic markers in women receiving hormone replacement therapy]

The study was performed in order to assess the serum levels of proteins believed to be the markers of neoplastic differentiation (CEA and CA 15.3) and proliferation (TPS) in women receiving hormone replacement therapy. 190 women were included into the study. Women were classified into one of four groups: healthy women receiving hormone replacement therapy (n = 76), women with diagnosed benign breast disease (BBD) receiving HRT (n = 26), women with diagnosed BBD without HRT (n = 48), and control group--age matched, regularly menstruating women without HRT (n = 40). Measurements of serum concentrations of neoplastic markers were performed using radioimmunological method. The results indicate that hormone replacement therapy does not provoke a rise in neoplastic markers concentrations above normal levels in any of assessed groups. Women with BBD using HRT were found to have the lowest TPS and CA 15.3 values and the highest CEA values. The long-term usage of HRT was found to cause a gradual rise of average concentrations of all measured markers in BBD group and in healthy women.