Table 3.

Hazard ratios of OS and SMR according to use of MHT or VET in women treated for early breast cancer compared with non-users (none)^a

Hormonal treatment	No. at risk	OS				SMR
		Unadjusted		Adjusted		Unadjusted		Adjusted
		HR (95% CI)	P heterogeneity	HR (95% CI)	P heterogeneity	RR (95% CI)	P heterogeneity	RR (95% CI)	P heterogeneity
None	8461	1 (Referent)		1 (Referent)		1 (Referent)		1 (Referent)
MHTb	133	0.85 (0.63 to 1.14)		0.94 (0.70 to 1.26)		1.04 (0.78 to 1.40)		0.93 (0.69 to 1.24)
VET	1971	0.79 (0.72 to 0.88)		0.78 (0.71 to 0.87)		0.81 (0.74 to 0.90)		0.83 (0.75 to 0.91)
Adjuvant treatment
None	1411	0.86 (0.77 to 0.97)	.19c	0.80 (0.70 to 0.91)	.90c	0.89 (0.79 to 1.10)	.14c	0.88 (0.77 to 0.99)	.29c
TAM	305	0.65 (0.50 to 0.86)	.23d	0.76 (0.58 to 0.99)	.94d	0.69 (0.53 to 0.90)	.48d	0.78 (0.55 to 0.94)	.60d
AI or AI and TAM in sequence	443	0.80 (0.66 to 0.97)		0.94 (0.70 to 1.26)		0.77 (0.64 to 0.94)		0.78 (0.64 to 0.94)

^aAI = aromatase inhibitors; CCI = Charlson Comorbidity Index; CI = confidence interval; HR = hazard ratio; MHT = menopausal hormone therapy; OS = overall survival; RR = relative risk; TAM = tamoxifen; SMR = standardized mortality ratio; VET = vaginal estrogen treatment. OS and SMR in patients with early-stage breast cancer 1997–2004 according to use of MHT or VET in terms of hazard ratios for OS and relative risks of SMR.

^bIncluding all patients using MHT, whether solely or with VET.

^cAdjusted for age at surgery, year of diagnosis, tumor size, nodal status, histologic type and grading, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, lymphovascular invasion, loco-regional therapy, CCI, and as time-dependent variables use of tamoxifen, AIs, and noncompliance for endocrine treatment. Number at risk does not add up due to patients shifting group according to treatment. P_interaction = “none” vs TAM vs AI ± TAM.

^dTAM vs AI ± TAM.