I was diagnosed end of 2020. Stage 1c endometriod adenocarcinoma at the age of 41. I was told I wasn't allowed HRT and assumed they meant forever.. so I figured out ways to help my body get through the menopause.
Now just over a year later I'm doing great.
I'm waiting for my yearly ct scan results and if its clear my oncologist said I can have HRT which shocked me. I asked if it was safe and he said yes.
I went to see a menopause doctor at the hospital- she said it should be fine for me to have also. All my genetic tests were negative so she said the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks for me as I'm young for the menopause. She told me about long term issues I might suffer if I don't have it.
My cancer was however positive for ER and PR hormones.
The impression I got from her was I would have estrogen gel and possibily testosterone if needed at a later date. However the letter she wrote to my GP is pondering if I should also have progesterone as well so I don't become estrogen dominant.
To be honest with you it all sounds like a logistic nightmare already to me. A surgical menopause was a fine balancing act to get right and now I feel like this could be the same. However I'm also concerned at the long term issues that might happen if I don't take HRT.
I spent the last year angry that I couldn't have HRT when I was having physical issues and mental breakdowns. Now I'm finally in a good place with everything and they tell me I can have it...
I don't know what I'm really asking here but was hoping there might be ladies who have taken HRT after having cancer or anyone who has any thoughts on this !
Thanks 😊
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Nara42
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Hello Nara42. I am stage 3/4 ovarian cancer and can’t answer your question but also wondered the same thing.
I didn’t have HRT as my mum had breast cancer and at the time when it was an option for me and after discussing with health specialists it seemed there was a possibility of increasing my chances of getting breast cancer by being on it and that as the risk of getting ovarian cancer was so slim it seemed to make sense not to go on HRT. I clearly wasn’t given the best advice and clearly made the wrong decision !!!!
However like you I have been wondering if going on HRT now would help keep the cancer away. I had debulking surgery and chemo in 2020 and now going through 1st reoccurrence for which I am currently having only chemo as they couldn’t operate. So if anyone out there can offer some advice it would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks and good luck with your journey Nara42 xx
There are different types of ovarian cancer (which I'm sure you already know) but I wonder if your ovarian cancer is oestrogen receptor positive? Mine is and for that reason I cannot have HRT nor 'natural' supplements, e.g. red clover, etc. I have been informed of this by my consultant at the hospital.
To add I am not suffering from menopausal symptoms so I am happy not to take HRT but if I was suffering then I was told it's a case of weighing up the risks. If the menopausal symptoms were really awful then I may benefit from having HRT even though it would increase the risk of the ovarian cancer returning.
Yes, definitely ask them however your situation/diagnosis seems the same as mine as I too had no spread and my cyst burst (in surgery but not prior).
I am not an expert and this is only my opinion but it you wish to minimise the possibility of a recurrence then don't take HRT but if your menopausal symptoms are so bad you can't cope then you probably would benefit from taking the HRT but bear in mind the increased risk this will have re your ovarian cancer recurring.
I am posting this in a public forum as I don't wish to give you incorrect advice and am happy for other people to give their opinions. I am simply sharing with you what my consultant told me.
I think you need to definitely ask again re your own circumstances.
Hello Nara42 and SarahBa, thanks for getting back to me and it’s interesting to read the other responses on the forum regarding HRT. In answer to your question, I honestly don’t know, I will have to ask my consultant. If anyone can shed some light then I have had a relapse of at least stage IIIc high-grade serous carcinoma of the fallopian / ovarian region.
I will go onto the links provided by Ovacom, hopefully they will shed some more light on the topic. Thank you Ovacom.
On a slightly different note, I wonder can anyone advise on the following :
Due to a relapse I’m on Caelyx and Carboplatin chemo, when diagnosed originally in 2020 I was on Carboplatin and Taxol. This time my neutrophils are low and have been given injections, however chemo has been pushed out for the 2nd time (was due to have 4th cycle) can anyone advise if pushing chemo out is likely to have a negative effect. I didn’t have this problem when on chemo in 2020.
Also I had the 4th covid vaccine, does anyone know if this can have an effect on the neutrophils as I thought this would help the bone marrow and so wasn’t expecting neutrophils to be low ?
Really sorry for long message, perhaps I should have concentrated on science a little bit better at school !!! 🤦♀️
Thank you for your patience and good luck Nara42 and SarahBa and everyone else on your journeys xx
Thank you Nara43 for your post. I can see some forum members have already shared their experiences, so just wanted to let you know about some Ovacome resources that may be of interest.
- ovacome.org.uk/menopause - This has a recording of an Ovacome webinar from June 2020 with menopause specialist Dr Louise Newson.
- For those who are keen to learn more about managing menopause without HRT, Ovacome hosted a webinar in June 2020 with Kathy Abernethy, a menopause specialist nurse and this session explored alternatives to HRT. We have a transcript of this session available so please email support@ovacome.org.uk if you would like us to send this to you.
If you would like to talk anything through with the Ovacome support team, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call our support line on 0800 008 7054 / 07503 682 311, send us an email to the address above or reply directly through this forum. We can also schedule 1-to-1 video calls if that may work better for you: ovacome.org.uk/forms/1-to-1.... We’re here to support you, Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm.
Sorry to hear of your diagnosis but good to know you are doing great. With regards to HRT I hadn’t considered it after my hysterectomy and just focused on getting through the chemo but I did start to really struggle with sleeplessness and UTI’s.
Then I went for a bone scan and discovered I was osteopenic as I had entered a surgical menopause at 49. I asked my GP who wrote to my gynae oncology surgeon and he advised that as I had Clear Cell OC then I could have HRT as mine wasn’t estrogen driven. He said I could try a trial of estrogen only gel (no progesterone is prescribed if you’ve had your womb removed they said) so I’ve been using that and feeling ok…not a massive difference but I am sleeping better and protecting my bones as my mum broke both her hips and had osteoporosis so I know I’m high rims. For me I felt that as my surgeon has given his blessing and it is helping me with the quality of my life and is low risk I’m happy to use it but realise it’s not for everyone and some ladies aren’t able to use it.
It’s a bit of a minefield and that’s just my experience but as Anna from Ovacome has said there are some useful links below and I’m hoping you get to make an informed decision going forward Xx
Hi Nara I was diagnosed with stage 3c Ovarian cancer in Oct 2020 and taken of my hrt immediately, I had been on it 18yrs due to early menopause. After about 6wks I suddenly had all the symptoms of a full blown menopause , continual hot flushes, burning mouth syndrome etc. I've had x6 chemos and operation now take Naraparib daily. I've been seeing consultant at menopause clinic who had prescribed meds for hot flushes, and also oestrogen pesseries for vaginal dryness. My cancer is oestrogen receptive but she said that these were safe to take. I enquired about taking hrt patches, smallest dosage, but she didn't recommend as ER. I spoke to my oncologist and he said exactly the same, that there would be a big risk of the cancer coming back xx
Hi, I was also taking Hrt before diagnosis and taken off when diagnosed. I was ER and advised not to take Hrt. I’m now taking letrozole as maintenance and struggling with menopausal symptoms. Could I ask what meds you were recommended for hot flushes? Xx
Hi, I was given a prescription of Venlafaxine 75mgs by my consultant in the Menopause clinic . It is a drug used for depression, but also helps with hot flushes. I was having severe hot flushes, and had none for about 2weeks then I had a few during the day. I have them now sometimes in the evening but not as relentless as before.
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