In the past, doctors have offered hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after breast cancer treatment to women suffering from severe symptoms because early studies had shown no harm. However, in early 2004 a well-designed study (the HABITS study) was stopped early and the results published because it found that breast cancer survivors taking HRT were much more likely to develop a new or recurrent breast cancer than women who were not taking the drugs. For this reason, most doctors now feel that women previously treated for breast cancer, should not take HRT.
Women should consider discussing with their doctors alternatives to HRT pills to help with specific menopausal symptoms. While it is still a hotly debated issue in the medical community, many healthcare professionals believe that phytoestrogens (estrogen-like substances from certain plant sources such as soy products) are a safe and effective alternative.
One way to approach the problem is to look at the menopausal symptoms that are making you uncomfortable—hot flashes, night sweats, decreased libido, weight gain. There are some wonderfully effective non-hormonal treatments available. Herbs and dietary changes can go along way to reducing these symptoms without tinkering with your body’s hormonal balance. Find an integrative healthcare profession to help you and your oncologist explore these non-hormonal approaches. Integrative medicine uses both traditional and alternative treatments to heal the body.
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