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Estradiol For vaginal atrophy after breast cancer. Is it safe?

Posted by tres77 @tres77, Mar 10, 2024

I have developed severe atrophy 25 years after estrogen receptive breast cancer. Did chemo, radiation and 5 years of Tamoxifen. I was always told NO estrogen. I am experiencing extreme pain and bleeding so sexual intimacy is impossible. I also have been diagnosed with Lichen sclerosus. I am 65 years old. My gyno has prescribed Estradiol vaginal cream 0.01%. I am told the new view and trials say is it is safe for breast cancer survivors. Anyone been down this route or had their gynecologist say this? I really want to try this for quality of life with my husband but I am also very scared.

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susan7656 | @susan7656 | Jan 19 8:48am

Both my gyn and my oncologist have said it is safe for me to use Estradiol Vaginal Cream because it is not systemic (like an estrogen patch).

I use .01% 1/2 gram just two or a week. I’ve been using it for about a year and a half. It has dramatically improved dryness and pain.

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kpederso | @kpederso | Jan 20 9:27am

I've been told the same: were your receptors positive & HER negative? OR?

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casey44 | @casey44 | Jan 20 9:54am
In reply to @marshgirl24 "This is amazing…but I do question it. Maybe I don’t understand how that estrogen % is..." + (show)
@marshgirl24

This is amazing…but I do question it. Maybe I don’t understand how that estrogen % is figured on the path report from the tissue sample. I’m in my late 70s, way past menopause and was using estradiol cream. My est level was 97% . I’m expecting that to drop because of the hormone blocker. My malignancy was fed by that estrogen…or at least, that’s what I’m thinking. I see my drs next month so I’ll bring this up. Estradiol is, I believe, a bio-identical. Suzanne Somers used them and talked about them openly, but she died from breast cancer. Don’t know what to think.

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From my research, I believe there are three naturally-occuring types of estrogen that circulate in your body: estradiol, estriol, and estrone. Estradiol has been used for years for vaginal dryness (e-string, Estrace, Vagifem, etc.) and can be either pharmacy-ordered or compounded (bio-identical). About 10 years ago I used a compounded vaginal cream of estriol, as it's the weakest estrogen but my oncologist disapproved of it so I stopped but it's back in favor again now. Ugh, sometimes I think it's just a CYA situation for doctors to advise against it, which is why the new study is so important because they can show some research that shows no ill effects. I put the link in a different response, but here it is again (just the abstract as the full article is behind a paywall) taken from the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology:
https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(24)01126-8/abstract

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