Hormone Myth #2: Hormone therapy causes cancer 😳

This is part 3 in a series on hormone myths. You can find part 1 here.

One of the most harmful misconceptions about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is that it leads to cancer, particularly breast cancer. 

This myth stems largely from an OLD, badly done study - the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study - which suggested a link between hormone therapy and cancer. 

However, this study has been widely disproven and criticized for its terrible methodology. 

The study was stopped early because they correlated combination estrogen + progestin therapy with an increased risk of breast cancer. 

Notably, they used progestin, not natural, “bioidentical” progesterone…and they used an old form that isn’t even in use anymore because it sucks!

Interestingly, women on estrogen-only therapy (which is bio-identical) did not show the same increased risk, but rather showed some benefit. 

This led to a widespread belief that all hormone replacement therapy is dangerous, even though the evidence supporting the claim was crap. (If you want more deets on why, see *below.)

In fact, a large-scale meta-analysis actually showed a 23% reduction in risk for breast cancer with estrogen therapy, as highlighted by the wonderful Dr Amy B Killen in a recent IG post.

Plus, DOZENS of more recent, high quality studies show that bioidentical HRT, particularly when started early in menopause, can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, improve bone health, and even protect cognitive function—all without increasing cancer risk.

(Oh, and BTW, the WHI has since retracted the claims of the initial findings and advocates for bHRT.)

Bioidentical hormones can also seriously improve quality of life for women (and men) as we age.

Arguably, they’re critical to healthy aging and overcoming the traditional decline associated with age-related reductions in hormone levels.

Why?

Nature never intended humans to live as long as we do today; life expectancy prior to modern medicine and sanitation was only about 40 years, o it makes sense that if we want to live longer and maintain functional bodies, we need to supplement hormones.

*FOOTNOTE: Why was this study so sh*t and therefore discredited? 

1. It included a group of women who were given estrogen and synthetic progestin, not natural, “bioidentical” progesterone! It is now known to cause all sorts of health problems, yet, Drs STILL put women on them all the time! I’m talking the Mirena, Depo Provera, anything with levonorgestrel, and many others…there are lots of them. Please check what you’re taking.

2. Participants were ALREADY in poor health and some had other risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes and smoking, which likely contributed to the negative outcomes. 

3. Most were also more than 10 years post-menopausal, meaning they’d already been without the protective effects of supplemental hormones for many years.]

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