For some of us, the risks of HRT may outweigh its benefits. Women who have had these conditions should be carefully evaluated before HRT begins:

- breast, uterine or other cancer stimulated by estrogen

- a family history of estrogen-dependent cancers

- abnormal vaginal bleeding

- chronic liver disease

- blood clots in the legs or lungs

The research on HRT and breast cancer is contradictory. Some studies have shown that HRT is not associated with an increase in the disease, but other data link HRT (both estrogen alone and estrogen and synthetic progestins combined) with a greater risk of breast cancer when taken for five years or more. The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study is often cited as showing that HRT raises breast cancer risk by 30 to 40 percent when taken for five years or more, and presents an even higher risk for older women. For some women, even a slight risk of breast cancer is unacceptable, Sharon felt that way, particularly since her mother-in-law was struggling with breast cancer. While she had no direct family history, seeing her mother-in-law’s situation made her feel very wary of anything that could increase her own risk of developing the disease. Other women decide that HRT’s potential benefits for them today outweigh the risks, particularly when their personal risk of heart disease is much greater than their risk of breast cancer. These women, like all of us, need to take care of their breast health by scheduling regular mammograms and examining their breasts every month.

There isn’t a single process to arrive at a decision about HRT, and unfortunately we don’t have neat answers to the question about breast cancer risk. It will probably be many more years before enough rigorously controlled long-term studies on HRT have been done to tell us everything we want to know. Until then, some women will give HRT a wide berth, preferring to rely on no drug remedies to keep their symptoms under control. Others will choose HRT, feel well when they are taking it, and be comfortable that, for them, the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. Each choice is personal ¡ªno blanket decision will apply across the board. Whatever you decide about HRT, you need to feel that you have had an honest dialogue with a health care provider, who knows your situation, and who is willing; to seek out the latest research and information about new HRT products as they become available and provide that information to you. Most of all, your decision needs to be made in the spirit of partnership with a professional who listens to and respects your views about your own health.

Related posts:

1. The Basics of Hormone Replacement Therapy For Perimenopause – Facts about Your Choices

2. The Basics of Perimenopause – language barriers during hormone replacement therapy

3. The Basics of Hormone Replacement Therapy For Perimenopause – Not Cast in Stone

4. Who Is Eligible for Hormone Replacement Therapy?

5. The Basics of Breast Cancer

6. The Basics of Perimenopause – Planning Ahead for Healthy Heart, Bones, and Breasts

7. The Basics of the Effects of Smoking Leading Up to and During Perimenopause

8. The Basics of Perimenopause – Managing HRT Side Effects

9. The Basics of Perimenopause – New Hormone Test Options

10. The Basics of Hormone Testing During Perimenopause – Old and New