There's been a decline in breast cancer incidence in the US recently -- and researchers think it's because many women stopped taking hormone replacement therapy.
A new analysis of a landmark study of postmenopausal women and hormone therapy, called The Women's Health Initiative, found that women experienced a rapid decline in their breast cancer risk within 2 years of going off hormones.
Initial findings of The Women's Health Initiative came out in 2003, which linked taking estrogen plus progestin to an increased risk for breast cancer and heart problems.
Although researchers say hormone therapy does appear to be safe for two years... They say their study suggests there is a benefit to stopping after that period of time.
The latest analysis also finds that using hormones for more than 5 years doubles the risk for breast cancer.