Hi
I have hormone positive breast cancer, HER negative.
I have just finishsd chemo and have treated myself to a new face cream as my skin is very dry & sensitive.
I have bought no.7 Menopause cream as i suspect once i start the hormone therapy i will be in a chemical induced Menopause.
But now im worrying that the No.7 Menopause cream will have ingredients that simulate the effects or ER and PR so could be bad for me / work against my hormone therapy?
Am i over thinking this?
I didn’t realize this was an ask your nurses post. I will leave this up for now since I took the time to research.
I think it’s a good idea to look at ingredients in our food and health products. You are not overthinking in my book. The face cream you mentioned has soy isoflavones and during my first experience with cancer it was known to stay away from anything soy with ER+. After a number of years I did eat edamame again, but not nearly as much tofu as before. I’m sort of a everything in moderation person.
If you scroll down to the conclusion of this study they seem to think it doesn’t have a significant effect. Somehow I think a little dab of face cream shouldn’t be a big deal.
Thank you so much x
I also had hormone related IDC and tend to mainly use organic coconut oil for moisturising that works ok for me. Hope you find sy that works for you.
I recently had an appointment with a MacMillan dietitian as I too was worried about phyto oestrogens from soya products. The dietitian gave me the following publication, Cancer Diets, Myths and more:
It says ‘Current evidence suggests that a diet containing naturally occurring isoflavones is safe.’
‘Soya foods can be used as part of a healthy balanced diet as a non-meat source of protein and provide fibre.’
The evidence was drawn from research into global consumption of soya and whether there was a link with breast cancer in those communities. It was found that there wasn’t and that phyto oestrogens from soya products do not act in the same way as the hormone oestrogen in the body.
The dietitian said, however, that taking soya supplements, rather than consuming soya as a food, was not recommended.
I’m not sure how this translates into the safety of ingredients in face creams but I have been reassured that it is safe to continue consuming soya products.
Hope this helps x
Hi bettyb24
Thanks for posting.
We know breast cancer treatments can affect the skin and nails and it’s understandable to question the contents of the moisturising cream you bought.
Some products may contain phytoestrogens. These are naturally occurring plant substances that have a chemical structure similar to the female hormone oestrogen, which is why there has been concern about its safety. But phytoestrogens are not the same thing as female hormones and don’t affect the body in the same way.
As @mousie63 says foods that contain phytoestrogens are safe to eat but the use of supplements containing them are not recommended after breast cancer. We’re not sure how this applies to creams. There are many beauty products that claim to help with the menopause, but we are not aware of any evidence to support this.
As @rockym says it’s a good idea to look at ingredients in our food and health products. Do talk to your treatment team if you have any concerns and also about your dry skin to see what they recommend the. In general, a moisturiser that suits your skin and budget is usually fine to use. Some women choose something with a high SPF factor, as this can help protect against sun damage.
You may be interested in our Moving Forward resource and support service.
Do call our helpline if you would like to talk this through or have any further questions. The helpline team have time to listen, talk things through and signpost you to more support and information if necessary. Your call will be confidential, and the number is free from UK landlines and all mobile networks. The number is 0808 800 6000. If you have hearing or speech difficulties prefix our number with 18001 and the call will go through Relay UK. Our helpline has access to telephone interpreters if language translation is required.
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Best wishes
Jane
Breast Care Nurse
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