Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: Dancinggirl on February 12, 2015, 07:44:17 PM
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Edit by admin. Merged topics.
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Joint RCOG/BMS statement: Lancet study examines use of HRT and ovarian cancer risk.
See the news item on the news page
http://www.menopausematters.co.uk/newsitem.php?recordID=158
End edit by admin.
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Oh dear, yet another scare! :-X Why can't the media tell everyone about some of the benefits of HRT? What about the research that shows HRT reduces the risk of bowel cancer? DG x
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Why do the TV Companies try to be 'in vogue'? Why not browse here and be more pro-active all the while? :-\
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I'm glad you mentioned another scare DG I really think that's the last thing people need. Oh dear x
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Oh for heavens sake. Here we go again. First it's bad , then it's good now it's bad again.
I am thoroughly sick of this kind of thing and I hope they don't get anyone to help them scaremonger >:(
Honeyb
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We have a statement which will be posted on the news section of Menopause Matters and circulated through social media tomorrow. We have emphasised that there are significant benefits of HRT and this risk is very small, without proof of causation.
I really hope that this publication and media interest does not worry women unnecessarily, but I fear that it may.
Best wishes
Heather
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Why oh why are women subjected to this. As if at our age we dont have enough to contend with. More scaremongering that no doubt GPs will wave in front of us.
We are the generation that ....a lot are in full time work, still managing and supporting children and have very elderly parents.
This is the last thing we need...
I'm glad that MM are putting the true facts out there but I fear it won't be heard.
Honeyb
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I think it will fear some women, most of us on here know that this change in life is scary, we don't know quite what is happening to us and are very fragile. For those who do choose HRT they have weighed up the pros and cons and will ignore these things but for the very fragile who also take HRT it will scare them and may well put them off altogether ruining a chance of feeling better. Just something else to add to some some peoples health anxiety. Just as well I'm in a very good place at the moment! X
HB you right x
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Thank you Dr. Currie for your reassuring post. I do wish they would ask you on these programmes so there would be a more balanced viewpoint.
Dg x
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Wow. They are going to town on this. What a great way to add more anxiety at this time in our lives! We knew this already and the extra risk using hrt over just being female is still very small. It's a matter of balancing quality of life over risks.
Galadriel x
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Was this about the recent research about the increased risk of ovarian cancer, for women on HRT for 5 years or more??
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My feelings are the same too. Quality of life v not using my patches is a no brainier. Harsh as it seems that's how bad things got. I just hope this doesn't put other ladies off taking HRT. Bee
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My blood was boiling when I heard there was going to be this announcement today - I knew it would be alarmist and not be put forward in a truly balanced way. I'm sure the risk is no more than that with breast cancer and that is tiny. What about the risk of a women having a car accident when on antidepressants and not realising she is slightly sedated? Do the GPs warn that your life insurance may no longer be valid if you are on ADs? I know they have to give us this information about HRt risks factors but it's another weapon for GPs to deny women the right to choose to have HRT as treatment for meno symptoms.
:bang: DG x
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To me the main problem with this sort of study is that it isn't a trial, and it combines many different studies. Crucially also there is no distinction between types of HRT whatsoever, as far as I can see - ie oral, transdermal, bio-identical, synthetic progestogens etc - the analysis just looks at HRT. Also what about other lifestyle factors?
It may turn out that there is a small increased risk though, so it's good to know, but as has been said this possible small increased risk needs to be weighed up against all the benefits.
What a pity that all women over 50 can't at least be given a regular scan to check uterus, and ovaries - just as we have regular mammograms, cervical smears, and bowel cancer tests. It's that Well Woman Clinic again! :)
Hurdity x
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I listened to the professor involved in this study speaking on Radio 4 this morning. He quantified it like this. If 1000 women smoke then 500 will die from it and if 1000 women use HRT then 1 will develop ovarian cancer with HRT as the cause which, as he said, points is a very small risk but it is still something that women do need to be aware of.
Taz x
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I suppose they have announce any findings they have or else people would be up in arms if anything did happen to them. We take risks with everything we are given the facts and findings and it's our choice, eating, smoking , drinking, meds, driving, flying. It's just a shame that when it comes to HRT some people are easily frightened by new findings however small.
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This not new there was a report in 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6567847.stm
My next door neighbour died on ovarian cancer a few years ago, she didn't know she had it and they couldn't save her, it shocked me as she always seemed so fit, her daughter told me she had used HRT but had stopped it.
I think there is genetic link.
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It is the silent killer they say. My aunt in law died of it, no HRT involved. No symptoms. She never once went for a smear test though which could have picked something up I think?
Probably will be a genetic link in some as with breast. It's just one of those things, we make the choice, and they will never have full proof because we can't live twice and try both ways, one life with one life without
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It is the silent killer they say. My aunt in law died of it, no HRT involved. No symptoms. She never once went for a smear test though which could have picked something up I think?
Probably will be a genetic link in some as with breast. It's just one of those things, we make the choice, and they will never have full proof because we can't live twice and try both ways, one life with one life without
A smear test will only show changes to the cervix, not ovaries.
My next door neighbour died from it too. Very sad - she lost her only child to still birth and never really recovered, emotionally, I understand. Because she had suffered health anxiety for years, the doctors ignore her when she complained of her abdomen swelling. When they finally sent her to hospital, she was riddled with it. :(
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Oh so sad Honorsmum.
Oh I take it that's why Hurdity said a scan for uterus and ovaries should be routine in over 50s. Ye makes sense.
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Yes, there is the CA125 marker blood test to ovarian cancer, but it is not accurate enough to be used for screening.
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Quality of Life ladies ;)
Thanks Dr Currie and Emma.
This morning J Vine had a woman who told listeners that she had taken HRT because of really bad flushes which interfered with her business life, I think she was about 55 when she stopped but the flushes began again: however, she apparently developed breast cancer which she 'cured herself by taking natural supplements' and felt that women should not be subjected to chemicals. Surely menopause is 'natural' but she had told us that she HAD to take HRT to stop the flushes :-\ ……. I switched the radio off.
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Don't blame you CLKD
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I believe that the CA125 marker is used ……… Ovacome web-site has more details. It is the silent killer because there are not many symptoms until it is advanced.
Onwards and upwards. Quality of Life, encouraging our GPs to listen ;), keeping notes of how we feel and when ……… adding our experiences to Forums …….
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Take a look at the full article in the Lancet- it's on the internet and in particular the appendix http://www.thelancet.com/cms/attachment/2025437254/2044917101/mmc1.pdf
This gives some information regarding the studies from which this paper drew it's conclusions. It would appear that the studies are from many years ago-when as we know doses/ type of oestrogen were very different from that used by most women in the UK today. In particular, I noticed that the mean age of ovarian cancer diagnosis was 1999 (16 years ago) . This paper is not original research but just an analysis of outdated publications.
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Often happens. I don't worry until my GP or Consultant telephones me to say 'come in for a chat' ;)
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Such good posts everyone - it's good to discuss this. What a shame that many women won't know how to interpret these findings and put them into perspective.
I do agree with Hurdity - the need for Well Women Clinics all around the country is very great. I used to go to the Marie Stopes Clinic in London when I was young and it was great. Well Women clinics could save the NHS a lot of money as fewer women would be bothering their GPs (who are often ill informed anyway) and end up being referred to a specialist.
DG x
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I believe that the CA125 marker is used ……… Ovacome web-site has more details. It is the silent killer because there are not many symptoms until it is advanced.
Onwards and upwards. Quality of Life, encouraging our GPs to listen ;), keeping notes of how we feel and when ……… adding our experiences to Forums …….
The trouble with the CA125 test is that it can be raised for reasons other than ovarian cancer AND a normal level doesn't rule out cancer if it's in its early stages.
I had the test recently and my GP told me not to panic if it came back raised...while saying she would, if it were her!
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It is the silent killer they say. My aunt in law died of it, no HRT involved. No symptoms. She never once went for a smear test though which could have picked something up I think?
I concur with other postings - smear tests have absolutely nothing to do with screening for ovarian cancer. At present there is no widely-available test accurate enough to be used routinely to screen for ovarian cancer (under NHS in UK). That's partly why I had a prophylactic BSO (having undergone genetic testing and lost an aunt to this disease). BSO reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by a high percentage, albeit not 100%.
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I heard GP this morning saying the headlines were screaming that taking HRT increases a woman's chances of getting ovarian cancer by 50%, but that wasn't really the true picture. In fact 1 in 1000 women will develop it regardless and HRT increases the risk to 2 in 1000.
Why oh why do the news people / newspaper headlines have to scare people so much?
Also, there was no information at all about which types of HRT - i.e. tablets, patches, gel, oestrogen only or progesterone and oestrogen - are they all bad?
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Yes I was unsure tiger that's why I put question mark. Hoping someone would put me right.x