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Has anyone had a large decrease in bone density after one year
Osteoporosis & Bone Health | Last Active: Oct 7, 2023 | Replies (50)Comment receiving replies
@teb what age group does the 1 in 26 statistic cover? If it covers all ages, and the statistic for 85+ is 1 in 8, then those of us in 60's and 70's must be closer to the 1 in 8 ( a stat I see everywhere).
I actually had a hormone-driven breast cancer. In some of my genomic tests, a risk above 4.7% of recurrence is considered "high." We all read stats differently and I think many of us feel that we are not the ones who will get cancer. I had no close relatives with breast cancer and no risk factors.
I am struggling with the need for Reclast after Tymlos so I understand the need for alternatives. But I also know that if any breast cancer cells lurk, hormones will often feed them. Eighty percent of breast cancers are fed by estrogen.
Replies to "@teb what age group does the 1 in 26 statistic cover? If it covers all ages,..."
the 1 in 26 is amongst all women. Dr Bluming has a chart of the risks broken down statistically by age group. Yes, the older you get, the higher the risk (as with all cause mortality). If you have had breast cancer, I can understand your greater concerns and HRT may not be the best way to go for you. And for others that have a familial risk or just a grounded and understandable fear, I really understand that it is not an option. But for others, it is something worth considering. For me, HRT was something that could maintain my bones in the way the body performs bone maintenance naturally. I did a round of conventional meds, using Forteo to build my bone as my loss was rapid and that was the best option for building my spine. But after I was done, the other pharm options weren't quite right for me, especially with autoimmune issues so after a deep dive into HRT, I felt more comfortable going on that than anything else. Dr Bluming explains how beneficial HRT is in most menopausal women and how it is protective of so many chronic diseases we are at risk for as we age, inclusive of osteoporosis but way beyond that.
Like you, I am (so far) a cancer survivor....ovarian cancer, another estrogen fed cancer that is particularly deadly, due in part because there is no early screening and thus it is most often diagnosed at a much later stage when treatment options are still rather limited.
In no uncertain terms, my gynecological oncologist, whose skill I credit with saving my life, dismissed any discussion about possible HRT. I brought it up because I was seeing rapidly developing aging changes during post cancer treatment follow-up.
My understanding is that some estrogen is still produced post-menopause, especially (somehow) in fatty tissue. Between my cancer treatment and my physique, my oncologist believed I was making zero estrogen and that this was important to preventing cancer recurrence.
He has since moved to a different state so I do not see him anymore. Would love to hear his assessment of all the present discussion of using HRT for hot flashes and for osteo problems. Will ask a different oncologist at my next review but would be nice if an oncological specialist at Mayo might engage here and enlighten us on current thinking.
I do not doubt the substantial benefits of estrogen for all sorts of things. And the old HRT study may well be flawed. But are there other studies, completed or in the works, that show that HRT benefits might outweigh cancer risks?
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Thank you Windyshores.
I forgot you mentioned that about the estrogen. I’ll make sure I ask before I do anything. I certainly don’t need that thrown into the mix.
All the best to you. You are such a blessing to everyone on this site.