With all the cancer in the news im wondering like myself how many ladies on here were on HRT and was brought off of it rather quickly when they discovered breast cancer threat. Panic by the drug companies, what better way to fob it off, than our own lifestyles. You can bet the drug companies are behind it somewhere. Can you say if you dont mind if you have been on HRT. im interested in my own statistics on this one.
No I was never on HRT, however was still having regular periods at age 57!
No, dx at 36, never took hrt, or oral contraceptives or any other hormones.
Took oral contraceptive for 25 years (for hormone control initially for several years due to severe period pain rather than for contraception) and HRT for 4 years - always feel my hormones weren’t naturally “balanced” and now believe that is a factor in my BC.
Hi
was not on HRT but was on the pill for 10 years. Was taken off the pill when I was 36 as the doctor was concerned that I was old (!) and a smoker (I have since stopped smoking). I think he was more concerned about blood clots than breast cancer, but I wonder whether the Pill contributed to me being diagnosed with HR 8 breast cancer last July at the age of 42.
p.s. I was put on the Pill by the doctors for non contraceptive reasons at the age of 26…
Debs
no i was never on HRT but took contraceptive pill but only for 4- 5 years .I did always have heavy painfull periods and always had problems and was diagnosed with endometriosis years ago .However when i came off pill ( as was having pregnancy type symptoms and leg cramps).I was using an oestrogen based contraceptive cream ( given by family planning clinic and GP so it makes you wonder ??? My BC was also HR-8
I was on HRT for about 6 years, for health reasons. I don’t remember which. Although the version I was on was not as bad as the older versions which prompted the scare, I took myself off, which I was considering before the scare, effectively going through a second menopause. Yippee.
Since then the formulation has been further modified and I think the recommendation is that in most cases it should only be taken for 5 years and for reasons of health only. (The media used to like to push it as a kind of miracle cosmetic one day and to condemn it as being used for frivolous sexual and cosmetic reasons the next.)
Remember, HRT does offer protection agains heart disease and osteoporosis, which is also more of a risk after menopause, as well as relieving the symptoms of menopause. I notice that after stopping, the HRT risk factor eventually tails away. Perhaps not quickly enough for me, though. But perhaps I would have developed BC anyhow.
Pre-menopausal at dx, so no HRT - but was on oral contraceptive pill for about ten years, off and on, and also had depo-provera jab for five years (though, that, I think suppresses hormones rather than adds to them, might be wrong). My initial meeting with the consultant covered what forms of contraception I’d used in the past, and he noted down the amount of time I’d been on the pill… so there must be something ringing alarm bells. I do agree, it’s so much easier to randomly blame every woman for lifestyle ‘choices’… makes you wonder if twenty years down the line they discover breast cancer is actually caused by something like using fabric softener… or street lighting… now, wouldn’t that disappointment the government health tanks?
thats interesting Cheryl i was put on it to protect against heart diesease and after four years brought off it after the news report. I wasnt tapered off it was just stopped dead, i was so ill for 6 months. I didnt want to go on HRT but because of a hysterectomy quite young and followed by early menopause a few years after the hysterectomy the doc recommended it. hmmmm i now wonder…
No pill, no HRT no nuffink…still strongly ER+
No HRT, breast fed 3 kids for over 1 year each. Had 3 kids before age 28. I do not smoke, only very occasional drinker.
Biggest risk factor being a woman.
I think the biggest increase factor is probably more to do with the increased number diagnosed earlier, due to screening or vigiliance on our part and we are all living longer. The longer you live the more likely you are to get any cancer.
Yes was on HRT for 8 years. Onc said definately related as no family history and my lifestyle is and was very healthy. IE Healthy eating, exercising and moderate alcohol. But did have only one child and at 33.
its all very interesting and thank you for posting.
Hi. 44 at dx and pre-men. HER2+++ ER/PR totally neg.
Pill for 18 months aged about 19, kids in mid twenties, otherwise no hormonal input of any kind. Hmm, except the summer before dx, I took norethisterone (progesterone) for a week to delay a period…
Hi all
I never took pill, never on HRT either, I have had one child when I was 18 years old. I did and still do enjoy the occasional RED/WHITE WINE. I did and still do enjoy a drink of lager/beer at weekends and on holidays. I did (until 12 years ago) smoke. I have always been very active and been very conscious of my diet (7.7 stone) until meds for cancer (now 10.5 stone). I have stopped listening to the news because they seem to always want to’blame’ something.
XXXX Cory
Hi all,
No HRT but I did take the Pill for about 20 years and then the Depo Provera injection for 10 years. I had to stop after DX because I had to have Tamoxifen. However, apart from that, had 2 children in my 20s, breastfed both for over 8 months, healthy lifestyle, never smoked, no family history etc etc. However, I do live very close to an oil refinery! Wonder if that has anything to do with anything.
Val
I have never taken HRT. Before i got breast cancer i remember saying to my friend that i felt the contraceptive pill had something to do with it.however i have never taken that either. I didnt drink until i was 21,and i’ve never been obese.
I also had abnormal smear on my very first smear test,which needed treatment,and i had only had one partner.
So it really annoys me when they put all these lifestyle causes of cancer on the news,people who have never had cancer are usually quite ignorant about it anyway,and this is certainly not going to educate them properly.
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hi makes me angry the reports that it is all our own fault, never smoked, on pill for very short time, children in 20s breast, feed them for months and SCBU, never been over weight, do like a wine but never been to excess, mum was on HRT and has had BC so is all her fault ?
annie
I am sick to death of being blamed for being ill!! Whether its heart disease, diabetes or cancer, you no longer get sympathy, just people looking at you and thinking, ‘well, she obviously got what she deserved!!’ What has gone wrong with our society? I know that we should look after our bodies as best we can, but really, it’s all gone too far now.
For my part, I had 3 kids early in life, breast fed them all, was never on the pill, never smoked and hardly ever had a drink. I kept fit (well, who doesn’t with three little ones!!?) and was a good weight. But I have triple negative BC which is not hormonally linked, so it truly was not my fault!
I am really, really fed up with people who now try to tell me what I should have done to prevent BC. I have it, it’s hell, and we have enough to think about without the guilt attached as well.
Sorry, I needed to rant. LIfe is about living, and not about being saints, so please don’t any of you beat yourself up.
Best wishes to you all,
Jax