Hi, this is my first post,sorry if its a bit jumbled but i’m trying to piece all this together to see if i can make any sense of it… I had lymph and lumpectomy the day before yesterday, awaiting further results on 7th Sept. My mum died from BC when I was 7yrs old (i’m now 48). I have been diagnosed with invasive tubular 7mm so very slow growing low grade.But last October I had a 24cm cyst on my ovary removed along with both ovaries, all tested clear
.Regarding HRT, I was taking it prior to the ovarian cyst,which grew very quickly, after the op I was given a 30mg oestrogen patch,I had awful hot flushes, moved house, changed GP, who increased this to 70mg, I then had a routine mammogram and the BC was discovered. I am considering the BRCA test as I have a 20 year old daughter. and also curious to know if anyone else has had any probs with cyst on ovary prior to BC diagnosis like myself…
P S Thanks to OAL for pointing me in the right direction with this thread 
Hallo Jude,
Welcome to the club that none of us wanted to join-but is the place to find warmth, understanding and support.
I am not the best informed re BRCA testing but posting this will bump your questions up the board so that someone else can see it and help.
Hope you are healing well and being spoiled and looked after this Bank Holiday weekend.
Lavender
xx
Hi Lavender Lassie,
Thanks so much for your reply,… maybe I am just unlucky to have had the 2 operations so close together and perhaps its just random and in no way related to the HRT , but you have to wonder, especially as my BC is ER+. One thing I suppose to be grateful for is that the operation seemed much easier than the laperotomy I had last October, perhaps I am getting used to having bits chopped out! Seriously though, I am having a restful weekend, and making the most of this great site and all the wonderful spirited folks on here…Hats off to you all what a brave bunch you are and so kind.Roll on the 7thSept when results come through, no fun waiting is it?
I hope you are having a great long wkend too. xx
Hi Jude
In my case I reckon I probably had a few early cancer cells lurking around in my breast already, then when I started getting menopause symptoms and went onto HRT I was feeding the cancer cells just what they wanted - they were strongly ER+. In hindsight I was probably stupid taking HRT with my family history of BC - both my Mum and her Mum had BC - but I didn’t know. At one time it was thought that HRT could actually cause BC, but more recent opinion seems to be that it just accelerates it for those with a predisposition to ER+ BC. I try to look on the positive side which is that I had to deal with BC at age 50 rather than 65 (as my Mum did) or 75 (as my Granny did) so was better able to cope.
A large majority of BCs are Er+, so I wouldn’t automatically assume that you have “caused” your cancer by taking HRT. I think it’s around 75% are Er+? (Could be wrong on that figure.)
Can’t answer your questions, just thought I’d shove that point on the table so you don’t get the “you caused your own cancer” thing that the media keep ramming down our throats!!!