Letter to the Editor From Merrill: “Breast Cancer is Increased in Women With Primary Ovarian Insufficiency”

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The claim that all women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) face increased breast cancer risk is overly broad and not supported by previous research.
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Physiologic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is crucial for treating POI, and overstating breast cancer risk may harm women by limiting access to HRT.
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The study by Allen-Brady et al. suffers from cohort selection bias due to missing data and an unexpectedly low number of identified POI cases.
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Many women with POI may not be diagnosed due to coding practices and delays in seeking care, leading to potential undercounting in studies.
5

Genetic factors related to DNA repair may increase breast cancer risk in a subset of women with POI, but this does not apply to all women with the condition.

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