Professor Isaac Manyonda is back by popular demand to discuss perhaps the most important issue for women considering and taking HRT: what is the risk of breast cancer if I take HRT? Professor Isaac Manyonda expertly takes the listeners through the different issues, one by one, including comparing the level of risks of breast cancer from HRT with lifestyle factors such as weight and alcohol intake. He outlines the risks according to different types of oestrogen and progesterone, and explains the difference between oestrogen receptor positive and negative breast cancers.

Prof Manyonda’s three take-home messages:

1. The strong evidence shows that oestrogen does not increase the risk of breast cancer and it could even have a protective effect.
2. If you take estrogen and develop breast cancer you have a lower risk of dying from the cancer than women not taking estrogen.
3. The benefits of HRT extend way beyond the improvement of your symptoms and include protection of the cardiovascular system, your bone health, your immune system, and potentially prevention of dementia.