Alternatives to HRT

[Pebble21uk]

Hello... wondering if anyone has any suggestions? I am not anti HRT... in fact I'm very pro and was discussing the options with my GP. However, circumstances have changed recently. I have just gone through a pretty horrible breast cancer scare, where I didn't realise anything was wrong, but a problem was picked up on mammogram.

Having just gone through three weeks of scans, mammos and 2 lots of biopsies, I have been diagnosed with a benign Radial Scar. It's a lesion of unknown origin, quite rare, but it also gives me a two fold increase in the chance of getting breast cancer in the future. Because of this I think it would be very foolish to go down the HRT route (although I will ask my consultant at the next appt)

So... having been to the GP before the whole breast cancer thing started with peri-menopause symptoms, I'm now wondering what I can do instead of HRT.

I get extremely hot (had night sweats for a while but they seem to have calmed down) and the last 6 months my anxiety has risen considerably. Also bouts of insomnia, fatigue, headaches - and all the usual things. I'm 48 and generally have regular but very much lighter periods than I used to. But at the moment, I don't know if it's the stress of all that's been going on recently or not, but I haven't now had a period for 6 weeks.

I'm starting yoga next month and doing some light meditation... any other suggestions??

It must have been very scary for you.

I've never heard of that before. Interestingly, this information here says it does not increase the risk of cancer, www.breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/have-i-got-breast-cancer/benign-breast-conditions/sclerosing-lesions-breast

I also saw some other site when I had a google and it gave an possible increase of between 8-30% which is a long way from 100% quoted by your dr.

There isn't really anything that works for flushes as well as HRT does.
If you look up the RCOG alternatives to HRT leaflet online it shows what herbs may help.

You could try acupuncture and TCM as one avenue.

The other thing you may find is that ALL consultants have a different take on HRT/ B Cancer. My consultant does prescribe for women who have had BC, in consultation with their oncologist/ surgeon. Some types are safer than others.

The other thing is to put the risks stats into absolute figures- so 'double the risk' means for example that you have just that- not a certainty you would get BC but at a higher risk. The same kinds of stat could apply to women who are overweight, drink too much, have not had children, or a later first pregnancy.

Have a look at this diagram and you will see that being overweight doubles the risk too- so instead of there being 23:1000 women who are not on HRT , 47 will get BC if they are overweight (more than double.)

menopausematters.co.uk/pdf/Understanding%20Risk%20of%20Breast%20Cancer.pdf

I know this doesn't negate your risk, but at the end of the day you have to decide if you want quality of life with some risk, or not take a risk.

There is a very interesting article that was in the Telegraph (2009) about one woman's experience of this. It discusses the risks etc in great detail. The upshot appears to be not that the RS can become cancerous but that the branches of the star may contain cancer cells in very rare cases that were not diagnosed by biopsy. The experts in the feature talk about larger samples being taken to check, but also the whole issue of over-diagnosis and how certain conditions never become cancerous but women are treated / have invasive treatment as if they would.

Thanks Queen - I think I read that Telegraph article. It is confusing as there are many different stats / courses of treatment and differing opinions! Like you say - it may be that cancerous cells that may be present are not found during biopsy which gives the raised stats when it develops later. I was told that in the past I would have had the lump removed, but now the vac assisted biopsy is supposed to replace the need for that as it takes large tissue samples. Again reducing the over-diagnosis / invasive treatment (although I can tell you that what I've been through in th past few weeks has certainy felt invasive!)

But something else I read (afraid I can't remember where now to link) said the raised stats may be due to whatever genetically gives you the predisposition for the radial scar can also predispose you to BC!!

It's very new news to me and I'm still reading and trying to understand as much as I can to be as informed as well as I can. That would also help with decisions such as HRT!! Thanks for your help.