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[bombsh3ll]

That's a valuable point - most women diagnosed with breast cancer don't ultimately die of breast cancer.

Cardiovascular disease is a much bigger threat, particularly in those who may have suffered estrogen deprivation at an early age in order to treat their cancer, or been denied subsequent MHT.

There are many considerations to weigh up - osteoporosis is another significant burden that has high morbidity and mortality and is statistically much likelier than breast cancer recurrence.

Ultimately though I don't feel it is appropriate for any third party to decide what level of risk is worth sacrificing someone's quality of life for other than the individual concerned.

[joziel]

Oh, sorry - another resource I just thought of...

There is a great podcast called 'Keeping Abreast' (!) which is all about BC and by a BC oncologist (woman) who is right up on HRT and the latest with all things BC, well worth checking out....

[Nas]

Also look up Dr Tina Peers. She’s had BC and takes HRT. It can be done post primary.

But, if it does return as both metastic and hormone fed, you would be crazy to feed that cancer with HRT. Yes quality of life comes into play, but treatments aside, SBC can be a killer once it takes hold.

Wishing your sister all the luck in the world.

[Meg]

A friend of mine had breast cancer and was experiencing very bad menopausal symptoms.  The oncologist put her on venlafaxine, which I think is a sustained release capsule.  She tells me it has helped her a great deal.  I dont think she will ever come off it.  It is at least 8 years since her diagnosis and treatment and she is now 60.  I think she is suffering somewhat from bone loss which is also a worry but at present she walks a lot and seems to have a good quality of life.

Good luck
Meg

[CLKD]

The bone loss should be treated.  Exercise is important but mayB a supplement would help?

[HellsBells]

Jane, you might also want to look at the Balance Menopause website for their articles on BC.

Really, this should be a decision made by each woman after weighing up the pros and cons - not a 'computer says no' response from above. No one else lives your sister's life except for her. If her quality of life is awful off HRT, then she may well make a reasoned decision to continue it.

And yes, if you look at the book called Estrogen Matters by Bluming (and google Bluming in podcasts for interviews) you will see that estrogen is actually protective against BC. Even in the WHI study, the arm of women taking estrogen only HRT (because they didn't have a uterus) had a LOWER incidence of BC than the women in the combination HRT or NO HRT arms.

BC is much less common in younger women - who have higher levels of estrogen - than it is in post-menopausal women, who have lowest levels of estrogen.

And even when women are BC survivors, they are not advised to avoid pregnancy - despite pregnancy involving astronomically high levels of estrogen - and they are not at increased risk of recurrence after pregnancy.

It simply doesn't add up that E causes BC....

Great book and yes it doesn't add up. Mind you my surgeon said that 60% of his patients have NONE of the risk factors for BC so very little makes sense. It's all a numbers game, and a very crude one at that.

I was given scary recurrence figures but they are averages including smokers, the obese and women 40 years older than me. Strips out much of the meaning in those numbers.

[joziel]

Yes, my mum had estrogen positive breast cancer. The thing she never bothered to tell doctors (probably from shame) is that she is an alcoholic and has drunk way above the recommended daily amount her entire life.  She is also very overweight and does zero physical exercise.

These are the things doctors don't get to hear about.

She didn't take HRT either.