The Problem with 2002 Women's Health Initiative
Much of the lack of treatment for menopausal symptoms is a result
of the inadequately designed, evaluated, and reported results of
research conducted by the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative, which
created panic among patients and physicians alike. The erroneous
message communicated by the media, as a result, was that
hormone therapy posed more risks than benefits for
all women.
On top of this misinformation, according to a survey of U.S.
obstetrics and gynecology residents, only one in five residents
received formal training in menopause medicine. This
staggering statistic signifies that many practitioners feel they
lack the appropriate knowledge necessary to treat women in
perimenopause, menopause, and beyond, which further widens
the gap between women and the relief of their menopausal
symptoms.
Many years later, The Menopause Society (formerly The North
American Menopause Society (NAMS) created an advisory
panel to evaluate new research and reanalyze the WHI trial.
As a result of this research and subsequent analysis,
a new consensus was released.
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A summery of this article can be read here
Questions and Answers
Hormone Therapy and Cancer
For women with a uterus who take estrogen combined
with progesterone:
There is no increased risk of uterine cancer.
The risk of breast cancer may increase very slightly if
hormones are taken for more than 4 years, but at the time of
diagnosis, breast cancer is likely to be a lower stage with a
lower chance of death than women not on hormone therapy.
For women without a uterus who take estrogen:
There is no increased risk of breast cancer for the first 7
years, but the risk may increase slightly if used for longer.
For women with a family history of breast cancer:
Hormone therapy does not further increase the risk of
breast cancer.