How does estrogen increase your risk of breast cancer?
In some cases, doctors may prescribe estrogen for:
pregnancy prevention
moderate acne
female hypogonadism
advanced prostate cancer
menopause symptom relief
Estrogen is a physiological necessity for people assigned male or female at birth. However, it may be harmful in large amounts and may even increase the risk of breast cancer development.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
People assigned female at birth who are postmenopausal and take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), also called menopausal hormone therapy, may especially be at risk.
HRT is sometimes prescribed to help alleviate symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, changes in mood, and night sweats, especially if these symptoms interfere with your quality of life. However, the pros and cons of HRT must be weighed carefully because of the risk of breast cancer.
According to the National Cancer InstituteTrusted Source, estrogen-only HRT may increase your risk of breast cancer, and this risk does not decrease if you stop taking the medication. On the other hand, combination HRT with estrogen-progestin also increases your risk, but this may go down slightly after you stop taking it.
Other estrogen-related factors
While HRT may increase your risk of breast cancer, there are other factors that can increase your estrogen exposure and subsequent cancer risk. These include:
taking oral contraceptives (although more studiesTrusted Source are needed)
diethylstilbestrol use during pregnancy (prevalent between 1940 and 1971Trusted Source)
early menstruation
late onset of menopause
not having given birth
first birth at an older age
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