HRT and cancer history

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

Hi,

I've been on HRT for almost 2 years - various combos, but settled on oestrogel and ultragestan as the solution which worked best for me. Have felt so much better since I've been taking these. No history of female cancers in the family, up until now when my mum has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. My question is should I tell my doctor? Will she stop me taking HRT, and if so what are the alternatives?

Unless your mums cancer is related to hormones you should be fine. They will be able to tell you. Or they will say if she has the BRCA gene, if so you’ll need to be tested anyway.
If you take HRT and have no such history, being slightly overweight or a glass a wine a night will but you at a greater risk of cancer than the HRT will. You need to ask your mum or her consultant about her cancer type.

Thankyou. Is the BRCA gene the one you are tested for when you have a smear test? If so then I have already tested negative for that in my last smear test. Not sure if it's the same thing.

They test you for HPV from your smear test which is a virus, as far as I know they don't test your genes

The BRCA gene is one which looks for your risk of breast cancer, nothing to do with cervix.

It's not - I think- offered automatically, so I'd not go as far as assume your mum will be tested.

I'm sorry to hear about your Mum.

Whatever caused your Mum's cancer may never be known. Some cancers are fuelled by estrogen - that will be shown in the biopsy- but that isn't the same as saying they were caused by it. Just that they grow more with it.

You won't need to stop HRT unless you want to.
My dr's advice is that if you have two first degree relatives- mum and sister- with breast cancer at a young age, it's a 'caution' to using it.

If your mum is for example in her 80s now, or overweight all her life, or drinks a lot, she would have increased her risk and those risks would not apply to you unless you had the same lifestyle.

Thanks @JinglingHellsBells. She's only early 70's, not overweight and is otherwise healthy.

It's such a difficult one, and I feel awful for thinking about myself when she's going through this. But it's something I need to consider. Maybe I will have a conversation with the doctor at my next check, whenever that might be. I've just had a repeat prescription without seeing the GP.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and they tested for genetics and mine didn't have the gene, none of my sisters or mum were not tested as it was just unlucky I got cancer, I'm in my 40's my cancer is hormone fed so I won't be allowed HRT or anything with hormones in, I'm also on hormone blockers for the next 10 years,

I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and they tested for genetics and mine didn't have the gene, none of my sisters or mum were not tested as it was just unlucky I got cancer, I'm in my 40's my cancer is hormone fed so I won't be allowed HRT or anything with hormones in, I'm also on hormone blockers for the next 10 years,

Sorry not sure why that posted twice

@notanothershitday I'm sorry to hear about your cancer.

However, it's not cut and dried about BC and HRT.

There are quite a few women using HRT post BC but this is through a consultant not a GP.

See one example here lizearlewellbeing.com/breast-cancer-and-hrt-with-kirsty-lang/

Likewise @chocolatesaltyballs22 your GP is unlikely to offer good advice- this is a specialist area. Most consultants would tell you to carry on. The risk of HRT if used under 5 years is zero for the sort you use, anyway. After that the risk is still tiny.
There is no absolute proof that HRT causes BC- the research at present show it may help an existing cancer to grow, but not have caused it.

I believe it's only hormone related cancers as others have said.

I'm starting HRT next week at 41 after treatment for cervical cancer has put me straight into menopause. My oncologist said it's fine for me to take it.