Have you been told no to hrt if you are 10+ years post menopause?

Hi @windyshores do you have a summary for the causes of breast cancer that you could offer? Does the estrogen driven breast cancer due to brca gene activation? My obgyn ordered a brca test for me, even though I don’t have a family history. My neighbor who is 65yo found out she carries brca gene after learning her 38yo daughter’s bc is brca +ve related. They both had a mastectomy, for prevention and treatment respectively. So one could carry the gene without knowing it if not tested.

My cardiologist firmly told me not using testosterone for heart health.

Thank you!

@mayblin I had all the genetic tests, not just BRCA, and they were all negative. As I wrote 80% of breast cancers are fed by hormones. My treatment was with an aromatase inhibitor that reduces estrogen below detectable levels. The adrenal glands make estrogen after menopause and the AI's address that source.

As for why anyone gets cancer, who knows, given the challenges in our environment. My grandmothers, cousins and aunts have had it but not mother or sister. They can't possibly test for all genes so...again, who knows!

The risk goes up with age. That statistic of one in eight is often challenged by people saying it is skewed because older women were included in a larger proportion. I have not seen the study so I cannot comment. I was 63.

This is very encouraging. Thank you for sharing this.

I have heard that, not only is bone loss lessened, but estrogen is cardio-protective as well. I went through menopause about a decade ago and am dealing with cardiovascular issues, bone loss issues, and other issues I would like to improve. But I, too, am getting the "But you're going to get cancer!" responses from doctors.

I have responded twice at length and lost both responses when my Internet cut out.

@dooshie I hope you will consult with a doctor who specializes in V leiden factor before considering HRT. A quick google does show increased risk of clotting.

@researchmaven I have talked with McCormick over the years and there are often differences of opinion between him and my endo, or, for that matter between my two endos (for instance on the use of bone markers). If you read research studies, they also often also have different conclusions!

I think we all would like certainty in our paths, and would like a provider whose opinions we can trust 100%- whether McCormick or PCP or endo. Unfortunately there are no magic answers. Some consult McCormick, I think, in the hopes of avoiding meds, but he suggests meds whenever needed and did them himself.

I have found McCormick and my 2nd opinion endo to be helpful in raising questions that I bring to my doctor, who may say yes to an idea, or no. In the end I trust my endo but he has shown flexibility in responding to what I ask.
With all these different sources of info, I, an untrained patient without extensive medical knowledge, am left in a position to sift through it all and I rely most on my endocrinologist. If you talk to Mccormick, make sure you also have a good endo! And we need more research!

Perhaps we as a a group of women should get the best info on this one hat we can pass on to our docs.

Congratulations! I'll be curious to hear how it goes for you. Are they using hormone pellets?

@gravity3 I'm not familiar with pallets. Fom what I read they are not FDA approved yet. Any compounded meds are not likely because of variations among batches or makers. My cardiologist, the one specializes women's heart health, advises against using testosterone for heart reason as I have a mild cad (cac score 38) already due to past lifestyle not genetics. Both cardiologists have strict criteria for me to follow, which I had been for past 2-3 years and they are happy with my labs and tests. The common prescribing protocol (not by a functional doc) nowadays appears to be a transdermal estrogen(E2) patch plus micronized progesterone if one still has a uterus. I'm finishing reading up "estrogen matters" by Bluming and some papers before meeting up with a specialist. Will see what she has to say about HRT.