Wednesday, December 15, 2010

HRT and TNBC

When I first learned I had breast cancer, I immediately blamed the Prem-Pro and threw my remaining pills away (instead of slowly weaning myself from them). I didn't want to feed the tumor any further with those estrogens. But then, when it turned out my tumor was triple negative and therefore not sensitive to estrogen levels, I no longer was blaming the pills. Information coming out of the current San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium however, indicates that HRT (hormone replacement therapy) increases the risk of  TNBC by 78%. It increases the risk of ER+ BC 27%. This is in spite of the fact that TNBC is mainly a disease of premenopausal women (who presumably are NOT on HRT). How could this be since TNBC is insensitive to estrogen?  It is theorized that the progestagens stimulate the breast  stem cells where some believe TNBC originates. Others think that HRT increases angiogenisis, blood supply increases to the tumor. Another paper discussed the doubling in the past 10 years of women over 50 in Brazil with TNBC. Wonder if they are taking Prem-Pro. Inquiring minds would like to know.

I went out last night for a holiday dinner with my ex- colleagues. It was fun to discuss old times and figure out what happened in our chemist's diaspora. I've been going out a lot lately, not good for keeping my fine figure in check, but enjoyable otherwise. Tonight I will stay home. It is still impossible to run outside. They were too slow to remove the snow and it has hardened to ice. I almost fell down crossing an intersection near the Y. As I looked out the window, while running, I saw a woman fall flat on her back on the same street. If it is too cold for salt, we need sand!!!!

I spent the afternoon playing with Ms. Maya. Very cute.

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