Had 1st endo appt NEED ADVICE

[MelanieH74]

Well I saw my endo yesterday. Things went ok. The staff was very polite. They even put me in their system as Melanie! My male name doesn't even come up on their computer screen!
The doctor was very professional and goes STRICTLY by Benjamin guidelines. He of course went over pros and cons with me.
He was concerned about treatment due to the fact my mother had ovarian cancer, but left the decision up to me. He also won't start treatment til end of Oct. to give me time to quit smoking. Smoking=NO HRT.
I have to pick up my RLE letter from my therapist (no trouble there)
The cancer thing scares me, and I know the decision is ultimately mine, but I feel like I must have hrt to feel complete. Cancer runs rampant through my mother's side of the  family and I've lost many loved ones  from it.
IS THE PRICE TOO HIGH? I have a wife and kids...AM I BEING UNFAIR TO THEM.  They support me either way, but are worried I'll lose my life?  Should I live my life full time as I am now? Should I go for it? Hell I may get cancer anyway, or maybe I'll get lucky and take after my father's side and have a long life (avg.80-129)

I'm just interested in some honest opinions.
Thanks

[suzifrommd]

The cancer thing scares me, and I know the decision is ultimately mine, but I feel like I must have hrt to feel complete.

I've come across no evidence at all that HRT increases the risks of cancer.

One study found the risk of breast cancer among transwomen who've had HRT is basically the same as among men. I've also heard that risk of prostate cancer is actually lower.

Now if you're really concerned about cancer, don't worry about HRT, but STOP SMOKING TODAY!!!

(Sorry for being harsh, but you asked for advice...)

[mrs izzy]

I've come across no evidence at all that HRT increases the risks of cancer.

One study found the risk of breast cancer among transwomen who've had HRT is basically the same as among men. I've also heard that risk of prostate cancer is actually lower.

Now if you're really concerned about cancer, don't worry about HRT, but STOP SMOKING TODAY!!!

(Sorry for being harsh, but you asked for advice...)

Ditto. More cancer or lung disease risk with smoking.

[Jo-is-amazing]

HRT does increase the risk of some cancers, as well as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But ovarian cancer shouldn't be a worry of yours, and your chance of breast cancer actually only increases by the amount of breast tissue you have- so in essence your still much less likely than a cis-woman to contract it.

Of course testosterone dependant cancers like prostate cancer will have a lot lower prevalence. But in your situation I'd be more worried about clots. As an older person and a smoker you have a significant risk of developing blood-clots (life threatening), which for a fit non-smoking 18 yr old might range between 1 in 15000 - 1 in 5000 (at least what my endo said ). As an older smoker your odds of developing one are much greater I don't know how much but I'd take a guess of well above the 1 in 5000.

So Yeah, If you wanna go on HRT STOP SMOKING
If you don't do that first then I would consider that selfish

Just my two-cents <3

[MelanieH74]

The doctor had me pretty shaken up yesterday.  Definitely understand about smoking though. I had weened myself down to about ten a day prior to going to see him because of the blood clot risk.
He kept tellng me the risk  of prostate cancer was higher because of my mother, but the men in her family haven't had the trouble the women had with it. You'd think prostate risk would be lower on hrt. That's what I always heard.
I guess he just had me pretty shaken up where I lost ma a few years back. I took care of her through the whole thing and it was so sad to watch her like that for 5 years. Guess he made me paranoid.

Thanks for listening and for your opinions! Food for thought!

[Athena]

Regardless of which you choose, you should be getting regular check ups for cancer. Many cancers are not fatal if you catch them in time so regular check ups with a family history of cancer is a must.
If it takes wanting to go on hrt to get you to quit smoking then in a way hrt will reduce your risk of cancer just on that alone.

[MelanieH74]

I think I'll take the risk. Cancer doesn't run in father's side. I'll just keep up screenings etc. and I believe everything will work out fine. Sorry about spazzing out earlier, it just reminded me of what ma went through. Thanks for being here!!!

[spx_1112]

Did you present as Melanie?

[Brenda E]

Smoking=NO HRT.

Good for him!

I have to pick up my RLE letter from my therapist (no trouble there)

I was under the impression that the pre-HRT RLE requirement was no longer part of the Benjamin Standards of Care.  Not that RLE is a bad thing though, and if you've sailed through it, nice job!  Anyway, that's just a side issue, not what you were asking about, so...

The cancer thing scares me, and I know the decision is ultimately mine, but I feel like I must have hrt to feel complete. Cancer runs rampant through my mother's side of the  family and I've lost many loved ones  from it.

Others have said it, but I'll echo it again.  Your biggest risk for cancer is smoking.  Stop that first, then worry about the hereditary cancers.

Looking into the future though, there's a million things that could kill you.  For trans people who don't transition, suicide is a huge risk.  Try to look at common traits in your family's health: did cancer appear at very early ages?  Was it undetected rather than uncureable?  Could you minimize the risk by making sure you undergo regular screenings?

It is a balancing act, and one that I'm sorry you have to deal with.  But I think you're doing the right thing already by not ignoring the issue, seeking medical advice, and talking to your family about it.  For what it's worth, I think you've made the right decision, too.  To succeed in transition, sometimes we have to be bold and take risks, but we've got to take calculated safe risks rather than reckless risks.

Enjoy the hormones.  Don't let the negative thoughts spoil the journey.

[MelanieH74]

I did present as Melanie as I do 24/7. Probably a good thing as he requires RLE.
I'm much more calm now. My mother's family usually develops cancer later in life. I'll definitely keep up on my screenings and should be ok.
Thanks for all the support girls. I feel much better.