Estrogen and Your Health

What Is Estrogen?: What is estrogen and how does it affect your health? If you're interested in lowering your risk of breast cancer,or if you want to understand how to prevent recurrence after treatment, it's important to understand the role that estrogen, and other hormones, play in your health. Get started by reading about estrogen.

Estrogen Definition and Functions

Estrogen Replacement Therapy or HRT: Low levels of estrogen can be caused by natural, surgical, or chemical menopause, and by estrogen suppression medications. Some side effects of low estrogen may include: hot flashes, headaches, night sweats and vaginal dryness. Some women may be able to take HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to help counteract these effects.

Long-term Use of Estrogen is Safe Within Limits

Estrogen and Breast Cancer: Some kinds of breast cancer are fueled by high amounts of estrogen. That's the reason that estrogen suppression medications are an important part of treatment that prevents recurrence. Here is an overview of the main types of breast cancer: ductal, lobular, inflammatory, and Paget's disease.

Breast cancer

Breast cancer occurs almost exclusively in women, but because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and females, it can also occur in men. Scientists have not been able to determine exactly what triggers breast cancer, but they do know it is not contagious, and that breast cancer in teenagers is rare. The chances of getting breast cancer do increase as women get older; in fact, about 2 out of 3 women with invasive breast cancer are age 50 or older. Most women with breast cancer do not have a history of breast cancer within their families, but if close relatives were diagnosed, it doubles the risk to get this disease. In addition, an increased risk of breast cancer has been detected in families with other inherited disorders. A woman who already had cancer in one breast is at higher risk of getting it in the other....>>>