A new study shows that estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after ovary removal can LOWER breast cancer risk in cancer-free women carrying the BRCA1 genetic mutation.
This study showed that women using HRT had many fewer cases of breast cancer compared to those that did not use HRT (11% vs 19%). The longer women used estrogen-only HRT, the greater the protection, with every additional year of use lowering risk by about 10%. This is another study to show that HRT appears safe to take in BRCA1 carriers after removing their ovaries (i.e., surgical menopause). We know that estrogen is important in premenopausal women for bone health, cardiovascular health, etc. If you have BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations, talk to your doctor about what options might be right for you.
Regev-Sadeh, et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(4):e265648. PMID: 41949865. Article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41949865/. Social media post: https://inheritedcancer.net/post60226/