As effective as hormone therapy is for hot flashes, it is still debated as to which type of therapy is going to be the safest with respect to long term risk of breast cancer. We think testosterone usage is not linked to breast cancer, and we think estrogen alone is not linked with breast cancer. But those who have a uterus, and take estrogen do need to also take progesterone.
Women treating menopause with hormones have a number of alternatives available to them, and there are many decisions to be made, in addition to your risk of breast cancer, when picking therapy.
Women in the US are still very likely to get breast cancer, and it effects 1/8 women during their lifetime.
Women who take only estrogen therapy do not appear to have any increased risk of breast cancer.
However, women who have added progesterones in the form of synthetic progesterone, in addition to estrogen therapy, do have increased risk, slightly, of being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Synthetic progesterone is the single agent used for menopause therapy which has been associated with breast cancer risk.
The type of estrogen (estradiol verses estrone for example) used in menopause has never been linked with different risks of breast cancer.
Natural progesterone will be the safest form of progesterone for menopausal therapy.
For personal consultation, call WHP at 217-356-3736
