A 51-Year-Old Woman Who Has Been Receiving Estrogen and Progesterone

A 51-year-old woman who has been receiving estrogen and progesterone therapy (EPT) for the last 5 years has visited her care provider because her peers have told her about the risks of heart disease, stroke, and breast cancer that could accompany hormone therapy (HT) . How should her care provider respond to her concerns?

A) "There is a demonstrable increase in breast cancer risk with HT, but the risk of stroke or heart disease actually go down slightly."
B) "All considered, the benefits of HT outweigh the slightly increased risks of heart disease, stroke, or breast cancer."
C) "HT is actually associated with a decrease in heart disease risk, but there is an increase in stroke risk; the breast cancer connection is still unclear."
D) "There's in fact a slight protective effect against stroke associated with HT, but this is partially offset by increased rates of heart disease and breast cancer."