Can anyone recommend a great menopause specialist in London?

[MasterOfNobody]

I want to get some really good advice due to a close family history of breast cancer. I’ve always assumed I can’t have HRT but people keep saying that’s no longer the case. Any recs on someone I can trust to advise?

The advice from my specialist (excellent, trains other drs, highly regarded) is that it's a caution for women with 2 first-degree relatives who had BC at an early age (ie not in their 70s or 80s.) That means your mum and a sister. Other distant relatives are not considered and inherited BC only accounts for 5% of all cases.

You might find it very helpful to watch the short video on this link where Prof Michael Baum speaks about inherited risks. (halfway down the page on the right.)https://thebms.org.uk/publications/bms-tv/

His advice is that for women at high risk (as above) they should be tested for the BRACa gene anyway.

@JinglingSpringbells not to hijack, but thanks for info. My mum, maternal aunt and grandmother all had BC very young, but my mum died of a heart-related stroke. So it’s tricky as HRT can be heart-protective. Louise Newson whacked me on full HRT during very regular periods (based on anxiety and mood), without a care for BC. It didn’t work out as made me feel dreadful, but I do wonder what I’ll do down the track… getting genetically tested sounds like next step

Thanks @JinglingSpringbells. my mum died of BC in her early 50s and my maternal aunt too. I have no sisters or other female relatives so that’s the full whammy of people it could have affected in my family except my maternal grandmother who died in her 40s of colon cancer. I will watch that video and explore the idea of genetic testing.

@RosieAway who is Louise Newson? Would you recommend her?

@MasterOfNobody did you get a recommendation? I feel very similar. Am suffering terrible anxiety and get very emotional but my mum died of BC in her early 50s too. Be interested to hear.
thanks.

The advice would probably be genetic testing.

And then bearing in mind your symptoms, it would be weigh up the pros and cons of HRT, use the safest sort, have annual mammograms, and see how you feel on HRT.

My consultant fits the bill for what the OP asked and although I can't speak for them, I'm fairly sure that is what they'd suggest unless you wanted to try alternative remedies or prescribed drugs for anxiety.

Many thanks. But sorry what is OP?

Original Poster :) (person starting the thread.)

With only one family member, you'd be probably looking at paying privately for a genetic test as the criteria is 2 first degree family members, at a young age.