Can Hormone Supplements Be Used for Menopausal Symptoms Related to Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer treatment is followed by menopausal symptoms in many women. However, to relieve the difficulties caused by menopause, hormone supplementation may not always suit every woman. Such supplements may be unsafe for women diagnosed with breast cancer. How can women treated for breast cancer and experiencing menopausal difficulties get support?

• What Is Menopause? Symptoms, Effects and Management Strategies

Many women experience, after breast cancer treatment , hot flashes, night sweats and other menopausal symptoms. Treatment may cause early menopause and longer-lasting, more severe menopausal symptoms. Hormonal treatments suppressing female hormones, chemotherapy or surgical removal of ovaries may cause these symptoms.

Why Are Hormone Supplements for Menopausal Symptoms Risky After Breast Cancer?

Some women take estrogen, progesterone or similar hormone supplements for menopausal symptoms. However, we hesitate to prescribe them after breast cancer, because external hormones may stimulate breast tumor growth in hormone-sensitive (hormone-positive) cancer.

Studies show blood estrogen levels are not a reliable marker of breast cancer recurrence. Results from clinical trials also suggest that postmenopausal hormone supplements after breast cancer treatment increase the risk of a second breast cancer or recurrence compared with women not receiving them.

How Can Menopausal Symptoms Be Relieved Without Hormonal Therapy?

Discuss symptoms with your doctor first and ask about nonhormonal alternatives. These may include:

• Acupuncture: Research suggests acupuncture benefits menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes caused by cancer treatment.
• Soy and Other Herbal Products: Some doctors claim herbal supplements can regulate hormones. Promising a natural treatment , this may sound appealing and safer than other approaches. However, whether soy helps menopausal symptoms remains uncertain. Clear conclusions about dietary supplement safety and symptom relief are not yet possible. Women considering them should consult their doctors first.
• Nonhormonal Medications: Some drugs other than hormonal treatments may help hot flashes: - The antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor) - Blood pressure medication clonidine - The nerve-acting drug gabapentin (Neurontin)

Medications may interact, harm you or cause side effects worse than your existing symptoms. Use them under your doctor’s supervision and direction to prevent this.

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