Changes in breast tissue and HRT

[BigDahliaFan]

Just been to breast clinic, 3 mammograms, 3 sonar things, a biopsy and another biopsy booked for next week. Strongly advised to come off hrt as ‘tissue is very active’. While it’s nice to now I have active tits, this is presumably the end of the line for hrt?

I am mid 50s. On oestrogen, the coil (a year now) and testosterone.

they will write to GP. Though it was hospital gynae who prescribed the latest lot. They suggested talk to GP

This must be very worrying for you.
Were you referred for these checks because you felt something wasn't right or was this a routine mammo?

It's hard to advise you without knowing all the facts.
'Active' means nothing in itself. Do they mean cysts, calcifications, or lumps? The concern is usually if they see changes compared to a previous mammogram.

Gel and Utrogestan is supposed to be safe for 5 years but if you are having changes after a year, it would suggest that estrogen is promoting a change that may have been going to happen anyway.
What is thought now is that estrogen doesn't cause cancer but may fuel /accelerate changes already underway.

Ultimately it will be your choice about HRT if the tests are benign.

I hope you get some reassurance soon.

What does active mean, I wonder? I'm off to the breast clinic tomorrow because I have a lump (although it seems to have gone down now). I've had to get lumps checked many times over the years and they've always turned out to be cysts.

I seem to have had fewer cysts since being on HRT but I think I'm very sensitive to fluctuations in estrogen levels as this one appeared when I had to change type of patch due to supply issues. I also had sore, swollen, lumpy breasts when I briefly switched from patches to gel.

I wonder if that means my breast tissue is 'active' too. I really hope they don't tell me to come off HRT.

Well they've advised me to talk to my GP about HRT and should I stay on it. The gynae also suggested I could come off it fairly recently but that was a different issue to do with bleeding and the coil and womb lining.

So I think I'm off it anyway.

Re the Active comment, he showed me the mammograms 12 months apart, said there was lots going on, and it wasn't presenting quite the way he would expect cysts too.

Good luck with GP @BigDahliaFan - let us know whether GP takes you off HRT or not.

Maybe you can get to the bottom of what 'active' means? It's still not clear what they mean. Can they explain?

You have had a mammo a year ago. Are you having them that often for a reason? Did you ask for one a year or is there something they are keeping an eye on?

TBH you might want a specialist opinion to make the call, not a GP, because with the best will in the world they aren't trained to make those decision.

I hope you get some proper answers.