Re: HRT and Cancer

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

I feel poor nutrition plays a greater part with cancer cell growth

than any additional medication like HRT.

In this case breast cancer, the whole month of October is pink this

and pink that. KFC had a special pink bucket of greasy chicken

with breast cancer research proceeds...and milk & olive oil promotions

for 'healthy' eating for the prevention of cancer...on & on.

Billboards everywhere. SMH.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

UNFORTUNATELY .... we know nothing about the genetic predispositions of any of the women referred to here .... or any other factors involved.

I've been on HRT since I had a hysterectomy at the ripe old age of 24. (Yes, it was necessary).

The gyno I have now is brilliant .... and his brother is an Oncologist. My gyno has HAD cancer so, between that and his oncologist brother, he knows a fair amount about cancer.

He said don't worry about all the talk about HRT causing cancer .... the studies don't hold up. If you need relief, get relief. Of course, I don't have a uterus, so that might factor in.

Personally, based on the women I've known .... more have had problems with birth control pills than HRT.

Every woman needs to weigh the pros and cons and make her own decision, hopefully ignoring the fear mongerers. JMO

Reba055 · ‎06-23-2014

@tends2dogs wrote:
@151949 wrote:
Taking bioidenticals for a few years through menopause is no where near the same as taking them for years and years. Why a doctor would keep someone on HRT past menopause is a mystery to me.I know a woman who just passed away at age 91 who has been on premarin since menopause. She died of bladder cancer.
@151949 I don't believe that Premarin is bioidentical.

@tends2dogs. Premarin is not bioidentical. Furthermore, the link to cancer scare was a flawed study. Women with ovaries MUST take progesterone if they take hrt estrogen to protect you from cancer. That was the problem. Premarin was widely prescribed and 1) it is synthetic and 2) progesterone was not given with it to those with ovaries. There are some slight risks with hrt, but there are also benefits. It reduces risks of some cancers and protects the heart. This of course in those with no risk factors.

Please everyone, read up on the latest information.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@tends2dogs wrote:
@151949 wrote:
Taking bioidenticals for a few years through menopause is no where near the same as taking them for years and years. Why a doctor would keep someone on HRT past menopause is a mystery to me.I know a woman who just passed away at age 91 who has been on premarin since menopause. She died of bladder cancer.
@151949 I don't believe that Premarin is bioidentical.

Where did I say it was?

BalletBabe · ‎03-05-2011

@Tinkrbl44 Oh my you sound like me. I was on them since age 22. Took them for over 20 years. The thing is that hormones do some good things, like help your bones. I agree with you on that each women has to weigh the pros and cons. I have never had any kind of cancer and I am in good health.

kismet · ‎03-10-2010

My mother was on premarin for several years and never got cancer, she lived to 80. There is no breast cancer in my family and I got it. I was on HRT for 5 years when I discoverd a lump. I started HRT because my life was terrible. Couldn't focus, felt like someone else had taken over my body, couldn't sleep, just felt out of it all the time. That was not me. After the worst hot falsh ever I went to see my gyn that is rated the best in the city. She said I could try HRT. She wrote a prescription for a high dose and I said I would like the lowest dose which was a .25 and I felt much better. After about 3 years I went to .50 patch and felt good. I tried to get off the .50 since I felt I may not need it anymore. Every time I did I got really bad migraines after a few weeks. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer I had to go off. My surgeon said I had to go off slowly and wrote a prescription for a lower dose until I got off which was about 3 weeks. No problem with migraines. The best gyn didn't know how to get me off gradually and never found the cancer. Always went for my yearly. I saw her right after diagnosis and she said she would of just assumed it was a change in tissue with age. I never went to her after that. The best never found the lump and still couldn't find it until I pointed it out. That was 10 years ago and I just had a mammogram 3 weeks ago which was fine. My oncologist is more thorough doing a breast exam than my previous gyn. Yes I chose to go on HRT with no history of cancer in my family. I was active, ate well and if it wasn't for my dog jumping across me and hitting my breast I may have never found it. Breast cancer can be painful and mine was. My surgeon said it had been growing for several years and not one of my mammograms showed it not even a diagnostic. It showed up on an ultrasound. Lumpectomy and radiation for 7 weeks and 5 years of medication which has robbed my bones of calcium.

While getting my recent mammogram another woman told me that she had BC 8 years ago and she found another lump. She had her mammogram and then was going to get an ultrasound. She said after her first time she ate well, lost weight, exercised and still got another lump which didn't look good. She said she thought she was doing the right things and now she feels that it just happens. No cancer in her family either.

My daughter is 44 and she was just here yesterday and I asked her again if she went for her mammogram and she said she will. Heard that a few months ago. I told her to go for a 3D but she said her doctor said the regular one was good enough. I again said get the 3D. She won't listen cause she's afraid. I face things head on, she's like my husband and buries her head in the sand. She wouldn't even discuss my cancer with me, didn't want to talk about, husband didn't want to talk about it. My best friend was my support system. I'm stronger for it.

I think everyone has to decide what is best for them. We do the best we can and hope it's the right thing.

granny me · ‎09-05-2014

I had a hysterectomy at 29. I spent a year of h$ll not fully understanding what was going on in my body. I remember the day clearly, I thought about killing myself and my daughter, my mood swings were out of control, I would throw my husband clothes out in the yard, I would break glasses, I had sweats so bad I thought I would combust. I called the doctor, I was hysterical and told him if he didn't help me right now I didn't know what I might do. He started me on HRT, I took a shot every month for about 20 years. Those shots saved my life, and my families life. At the time, noting was known about HRT and breast cancer, but even if I had been given the warning I would still had taken HRT that is how bad I suffered.

For some like myself HRT was a God send.

MomCat · ‎09-12-2010

I've known plenty of women who have taken HRT for years and have had no problems. I am all for doing your own research and discussing it with your doctor, but I think too many people forget that this is an individual issue. You can't throw everyone into one basket when it comes to health issues.

Skyegirl21 · ‎03-20-2010

Such a difficult topic... I am on a low dose patch also. Without it, I get constant night sweats and don't sleep. Given that I work a complex, high stress job, without sleep, I can't function! So the patch has saved my life.

Do I want to be on HRT? No. But I need it to sleep and function, yes, the night sweats are That bad!

Easy to judge others on HRT if you don't understand the debilitating symptoms some women suffer thru for years! Many are lucky and sail thru with no problems....