Bunuel wrote:
Estrogen alone increases the risk of uterine cancer and of breast cancer. Estrogen combined with the progestin does not increase the risk of uterine cancer; this combination does cause the same increase in risk for the breast cancer as does estrogen alone.
If the above information is correct, which of the following would be an expected result?
A. More women taking estrogen alone will develop uterine cancer than breast cancer.
B. Fewer women taking neither estrogen nor progestin will develop uterine cancer than women taking estrogen and progestin.
C. more women taking estrogen alone will develop breast cancer than women taking estrogen and progestin.
D. Fewer women taking only progestin will develop uterine cancer than women taking estrogen and progestin.
E. The same percentage of women taking estrogen and progestin will develop uterine cancer as women taking neither estrogen nor progestin.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION:Choice E is correct.
Choice A compares the rates of uterine and breast cancer which would result from taking the estrogen alone, but the statements do not provide a basis for such a comparison.
Choice B is not specific enough. It could be true if the final phrase read "than women taking estrogen alone", or false if the final phrase read " than women taking estrogen and progestin". As it stands, choice B is indeterminate.
The conditions outline in choice C would result in the same risk for both, as is explained in the final phrase: " however ,this combination does cause the same increase in the risk for breast cancer as estrogen alone".
Choice D mentions a category , women taking only progestin, which is not mentioned in the statements.
If estrogen and progestin combined result in no increase in the risk of uterine cancer, then we would expect the conditions of the correct choice, E: women taking neither hormone and women taking both hormones will develop uterine cancer at the same rate.
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