A new consensus statement has been released that will help define the role of menopausal hormone therapy after breast cancer.
Many breast cancer survivors experience menopausal symptoms that impact negatively on their quality of life. A healthy lifestyle and non-hormone treatments can help, but aren’t always effective.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment option but may increase the risk of relapse and is therefore usually contra-indicated. However, some women may choose to accept a small increase in risk and take HRT after breast cancer to improve their quality of life.
A 25-member multidisciplinary panel, including GP and Menopause Specialist Dr Louise Newson, reviewed the available evidence concerning use of vaginal hormones, HRT and testosterone after breast cancer to develop a consensus statement to support clinician-guided shared decision-making.
The key recommendations were:
• vaginal oestrogen can be used off-label to treat genitourinary symptoms in breast cancer survivors
• HRT can be used off-label if patients have been supported to make an informed treatment choice, and the benefits are deemed to outweigh the risks
• shared decisions are based on:
(1) an individual’s menopausal symptoms and impact on quality of life
(2) the potential increase in an individual’s risk of relapse by use of HRT
3) patient preferences, views and treatment goals
Helping women weigh up the pros and cons of HRT after breast cancer according to their personal circumstances, and supporting women to make informed treatment decisions is a key component of high-quality care.
The panel hopes that doctors and patients will use the findings to support shared decision making and informed menopause treatment choices after breast cancer.
You can read the consensus statement, published in the journal Menopause, here.
