Progesterone
Question: Does progesterone (progestin) in hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) cause breast cancer?
Answer: In hormone replacement therapy (HRT),
hormones are taken to replenish the natural ones (estrogen or progesterone)
that decrease with menopause. Estrogen can be taken alone or with progesterone.
Recent studies suggest an increased risk of breast cancer for women taking HRT
for 5 years or longer. This risk is greater for women who take both estrogen
and progesterone, compared with women who take only estrogen. The risk returns
to the same as nonusers 5 years after HRT is stopped. The benefits and risks of
HRT are still being debated. Besides countering some of the effects of
menopause (hot flashes, sleepiness, and vaginal dryness), HRT helps prevent
osteoporosis (loss of bone mass) and may also reduce the risk of heart disease.
If you are interested in HRT and worried about its side effects, talk to your
doctor.
Question: After I went through menopause, my
doctor told me to take both estrogen and progesterone pills. Why can't I take
just estrogen?
Answer: After menopause, many women begin
hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which helps maintain bone strength (to
reduce the risk of fracture, and lowers the level of low-density lipoprotein
("bad") cholesterol in the blood. HRT also helps relieve many of the
uncomfortable symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes.
But HRT medications come with
some risks. One of the most worrisome effects of HRT is a possible increase in
the risk of cancer--specifically, cancer of the lining of the uterus
(endometrial cancer). Women who take the hormone estrogen without
progesterone have a higher risk for endometrial cancer than women who don't
take HRT therapy at all.
Fortunately, by taking estrogen
and progesterone together, the risk may be eliminated.
Women who have had surgery to
remove their uterus (a hysterectomy) cannot develop endometrial cancer, so they
may safely take estrogen without progesterone.
It is important
to discuss your risk of cancer with your doctor and to consider the benefits
and risks of hormone replacement therapy before starting this medication.
Home Page
Newsletters
FAQs
H-SCAN Physical Age Test
Our Results
|