Postmenopausal hormone use for women without a history of breast cancer
Many women take postmenopausal hormones (also known as menopausal hormone therapy or hormone replacement therapy) to relieve menopausal symptoms. However, the use of postmenopausal hormones increases the risk of both developing and dying from breast cancer (learn more) [88-90]. So, although postmenopausal hormone use is approved for the short-term relief of menopausal symptoms, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that women use only the lowest dose that eases symptoms for the shortest time needed [91].
Learn more about postmenopausal hormones and breast cancer risk.
Learn more about postmenopausal hormones and other health risks.
Postmenopausal hormone use for women with a history of breast cancer
For breast cancer survivors, avoiding postmenopausal hormones may be even more important than for other women. Survivors have an increased risk of getting a second breast cancer and postmenopausal hormone use increases the risk of breast cancer [88-90].
Whether postmenopausal hormone use affects survival in women with breast cancer is still under study. Much of the research done to date has not found a link between postmenopausal hormones and breast cancer recurrence [92-94]. However, one randomized clinical trial was stopped because the survivors who were taking postmenopausal hormones had more cases of recurrence, metastases and second breast cancers than survivors not taking hormones [95].
Currently, the best choice for most breast cancer survivors is to avoid the use of postmenopausal hormones. Women should discuss other ways to relieve menopausal symptoms with their health care provider.
Learn about alternatives to postmenopausal hormone therapy for the relief of menopausal symptoms.
Bio-identical hormones
There is no medical or scientific definition for the term “bio-identical hormones”, so you may hear the term used in different ways. Some people use it to describe hormone drugs that have the same chemical and molecular structure as hormones found in the body. (Not all products that claim to be bio-identical meet this definition.) “Bio-identical" may also refer to hormone therapies that are custom compounded (when a pharmacist makes a mixture of hormones according to the physician’s instructions on the prescription) [96-98]. No matter the definition, it is important to remember:
- Bio-identical hormones have not been shown to be safer than FDA-approved postmenopausal hormone therapies. There is no evidence these hormone therapies have fewer health risks than FDA-approved hormones. And, because they have not been well-studied, they may have more health risks [96-97].
- Bio-identical hormones have not been shown to be more effective at treating menopausal symptoms than FDA-approved postmenopausal hormone therapies [96-97].
- There is no scientific evidence that saliva tests to check hormone levels are useful in making custom compounded hormone therapies [96-97].
To learn more about bio-identical hormone therapies, visit the FDA website.
Updated 01/20/12
