Hormonal Therapy for Menopausal Symptoms and Breast Cancer Risk

Read more Here about hot flashes, one of menopausal symptoms.

Hormonal therapy for menopausal symptoms may increase the risk of breast cancer.

It is not true that starting hormonal therapy before the age of 50 does not hold any risk.

Local estrogen therapy, such as cream and pessaries, applied to the vagina do not increase the risk of breast cancer.

To minimize the risk, the lady is advised to use the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time .

Studies at the University of Oxford from Type and Timing of Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk, (The Lancet, 2019) showed:

A. 6 out of 100 ( age between 50-69) developed breast cancer without using any hormonal therapy, 8 of them would develop breast cancer if they took estrogen and progesterone every day for five years.

B. Taking progesterone intermittently (for half cycle) with estrogen daily might hold lower risk of developing breast cancer.

C. Hormonal therapy for women who had hysterectomy (no progesterone) holds lower risk.
Although there is Increased risk of breast cancer with the use of progesterone, progesterone protects against endometrial cancer. So the use estrogen alone is advised only for patients who had hysterectomy.

Researchers in Cancer Research UK states that:
2% of breast cancer cases in the UK are caused by post-menopausal hormones.
8% are caused by overweight and obesity.
8% are caused by alcohol .
5% are caused by not breastfeeding.