VOA慢速英语 2007 0425a

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Last year, researchers reported that breast cancer rates in the United States dropped in two thousand three. That was after about twenty years of rising. Many experts linked the drop to a sharp reduction in the use of hormone¹ replacement² therapy for older women.

The researchers found that breast cancer rates dropped by almost seven percent between two thousand two and two thousand three. Now, they have just reported that the decreased rates were also present in two thousand four.

Breast cancer rates were at their lowest level since about nineteen eighty-seven, they say. But they also say that in two thousand four there was little additional decrease.

The study found that the drop was mostly in women age fifty to sixty-nine. And it was mostly in the kind of breast cancer fed by estrogen. Estrogen is one of the hormones³ given to women in hormone replacement therapy, or HRT.

The use of HRT began to drop soon after a major study appeared in two thousand two. The Women's Health Initiative study found that the therapy did not protect against heart disease, as had been thought. Instead, it found that hormone replacement increased the risk for some kinds of cancer, as well as heart attacks and other problems.

The use of hormone replacement therapy dropped almost forty percent soon after that report appeared.

The latest findings about breast cancer rates appeared last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers used information gathered by the National Cancer Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health.

Peter Radvin and Donald Berry of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center led the research. Doctor Radvin notes that the kind of study they did cannot prove that hormone replacement therapy causes breast cancer.

And both researchers say they are not suggesting that all women stop the therapy. Doctor Radvin says he will continue to advise his patients to use the lowest strength of hormones for the shortest time possible.

Critics of the study include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals⁴, a maker⁵ of hormone replacements⁶. One question, it says, is why breast cancer rates leveled off in two thousand four even though use of the therapy continued to drop. The company says the reduction in breast cancer rates could have been the result of something unrelated to the drugs.

And that’s the Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver⁷. I’m Barbara Klein.

1 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

2 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

3 hormones   

n. 荷尔蒙，激素 名词hormone的复数形式

参考例句：

• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body. 这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。
• The adrenals produce a large per cent of a man's sex hormones. 肾上腺分泌人体的大部分性激素。

4 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

6 replacements   

n.代替( replacement的名词复数 )；替换的人[物]；替代品；归还

参考例句：

• They infiltrated behind the lines so as to annoy the emery replacements. 他们渗透敌后以便骚扰敌军的调度。 来自辞典例句
• For oil replacements, cheap suddenly looks less of a problem. 对于石油的替代品来说，价格变得无足轻重了。 来自互联网

7 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。