In general, when you take hormone replacement therapy, you're taking estrogen and progesterone. These hormones are linked to several types of cancer. These hormones are linked to several types of cancer, including breast cancer and endometrial cancer. If you are considering taking hormone therapy, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends that you talk to your healthcare provider about how hormone therapy can alleviate menopausal symptoms and about your individual risks.
Low-dose HRT may slightly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, but the risk can be kept low if used for the shortest time possible. If you have severe hot flashes, vaginal dryness, or other menopausal side effects that affect your quality of life and are considering HRT, talk to your doctor about all your options. The risks are different for each person and depend on factors such as personal medical history, age, duration of hormone therapy, dosage and type of treatment. According to studies from the Women's Health Initiative and other research, in women without a history of breast cancer, the systemic administration of estrogen-only hormone therapy is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Association of menopausal hormone therapy with breast cancer incidence and mortality during long-term follow-up of randomized clinical trials of the Women's Health Initiative. Transgender people who are interested in hormone replacement therapy as part of gender-affirming care should also consider these advantages and disadvantages, Matsen says, although there are currently no major studies examining the long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy in the transgender community. Hormone therapy to treat breast cancer, also called endocrine therapy, uses a set of drugs to lower hormone levels or block the action of the hormone on the receptor, thereby reducing the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women. Many experts say that women with a history of breast cancer should not undergo any type of systemic hormone therapy, especially if they have breast tissue (for example, if they have had a lumorectomy instead of a double mastectomy).).
Usually, people who have had a hysterectomy (surgery to remove the uterus) take systemic HRT with estrogen alone. If you have or have ever had another type of cancer, hormone replacement therapy has the same risk for you as it does for people without cancer. Some research shows that women who take combined hormone replacement therapy are more likely to be called for more mammogram images after an initial mammogram. Systemic hormone replacement therapy effectively treats many menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and vaginal symptoms.
Certainly, more research is needed to better understand the biological factors behind menopausal symptoms and how to improve them without using HRT in women with a history of breast cancer. In general, it is recommended that patients stop taking hormone therapy before age 60 to reduce the risk of these side effects. Combined HRT (estrogen and progestin) is associated with a small increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
