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For my TNBC sisters. I’m still in a chemo induced menopause 15 months after chemo ended. Menopause specialist wants me to start HRT.

A MyBCTeam Member asked a question 💭
Sacramento Area, CA

So I have like no Estrogen in my body and been dealing with some severe menopause symptoms. I’ve always heard bad things about hormone replacement like I sure did and progesterone I’m really scared if I started I hear that it could cause cancer it feeds cancer. But mine was triple negative so I’m just not sure if it is common if TNBC it’s safe to take Estrogen and progesterone. Background went through chemo at 35 and that’s the main reason doctor wants me to start HRT thing I’m too young to not… read more

September 25
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A MyBCTeam Member

While your menopause specialist wants you to take HRT, it is still and always will be important to check with your oncologist.before starting new supplements or meds. Even though your original cancer was triple negative it is possible to develop more than 1 type of breast cancer, including hormone or HER2 positive cancers in the future. Also, since you have already had breast cancer and were quite young when you were diagnosed you are higher risk for getting breast cancer again.

September 26
A MyBCTeam Member

I was on HRT for 2 years before TNBC diagnoses. There are a lot of benefits and it helped me, but after my diagnosis, my breast cancer doctor told me to stop taking it even though I did not have any hormone-related BC. She said it was not recommended to continue because of its correlation to BC, but did not offer any specific information. After chemotherapy, my menopause symptoms mostly went away, especially the hot flashes. Now, I am dealing with more thyroid-related disfunction in my body such as losing more hair than normal even though it's all grown back. Let me know if you do decide to try it and how it works for you. Do your research and see how you feel about it after having more information. Praying you stay well and feel better soon.

September 26
MyBCTeam

This is such a valid concern, and it makes complete sense that you're feeling scared and confused — especially after everything you've already been through at such a young age. You're definitely not alone in wrestling with this question.

Here's the key thing that makes your situation different from the general HRT-and-cancer Show Full Answer

This is such a valid concern, and it makes complete sense that you're feeling scared and confused — especially after everything you've already been through at such a young age. You're definitely not alone in wrestling with this question.

Here's the key thing that makes your situation different from the general HRT-and-cancer conversation: TNBC cells do not have estrogen or progesterone receptors. This means your cancer didn't rely on those hormones to grow in the first place. The concern about HRT "feeding cancer" is most relevant for hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, where estrogen and progesterone actually do fuel tumor growth. With TNBC, that specific mechanism isn't in play.

That said, HRT is still a complex decision and the risks and benefits are very personal. Some important things to discuss thoroughly with your medical team include:

- Your individual health history and any other risk factors
- The type of HRT being proposed — progesterone-based options are generally considered safer than estrogen-based ones
- How long you'd be on HRT
- Your breast density, which can factor into overall risk
- Regular monitoring, such as mammograms, while on HRT Your menopause specialist's reasoning about being 35 is really important here — going without hormones long-term at your age does carry its own real health risks, which is why they're recommending this.

The most important step is making sure both your oncologist and your menopause specialist are aligned on this decision together. Having that team conversation, with your TNBC status front and center, will help you make the most informed and safest choice for your body.

September 25

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