Can HRT trigger cancer if not controlled carefully?

[Iceprincess]

I'm just going to have my first appointment with a therapist in a couple of weeks... but I've been re-reading about the transition and I found some interesting things:

According to wikipedia, HRT can be dangerous if it's applied in patients who have clinical records in their family of Cancer, specially estrogen sensitive (Like Breast cancer). Unfortunately, cancer has been present in some of my family members in different ways. (Breast cancer, liver cancer and cardiovascular health issues)

So, is there any chance that, if I decide to undergo HRT, I might get cancer or any other complication, considering my medical family records, even if it's all under strict medical control?

[Silver]

MTFs will have the same risk of breast cancer as a bio-female. Estrogen increases the likelihood of cancer.

[Autumn]

My therapist said that in 23 years she'd never seen a HRT patient diagnosed with cancer.

My mother actually knew a transsexual when i was a pre-teen, and she died of cancer... I swear she's told me it was prostate cancer, but I don't know *HOW* you can develop and die from prostate cancer when MTF HRT is literally what you use to TREAT prostate cancer... I guess there's estrogen-based P cancer.

Here's the thing though: If you're not willing to die for your transition, then you're not ready to transition. Massive surgery, hormone cocktails, lowest social class, toughen up and roll or wait til you're ready.

That said, after I came to terms with being ready to die for this, I came through to the other side where I will fight anyone and anything to live the life I want.

[Cindy]

Any answer will be too simplistic. Estrogen receptors can drive breast cancer in people who have it. Whether the interaction causes it is not known or at least not proven. Prostatic cancers can be driven by testosteronen but again there are caveats. With people who have the cancers, withdrawal of hormones or blocking receptors can be beneficial, but the link is complex, it appears that a chain of intercellular biochemical interactions that result from the hormone receptor interaction are different in malignant and none malignant cells. What causes them is becoming known, and in some cases are as in CML.

Some women with a strong genetic background of breast cancer have undergone radical mastectomy to prevent cancer. Recent studies may show that this has not been of any great protective benefit

I'll go with Autumn in many ways. Every second of every day you are at risk of s**t happening. Live your life to be happy and helpful, and live every day. Who knows you have just been transitioned to a gorgeous babe of fantasy and dream, you walk out of the hospital and get hit by ....

Cindy

[Janet_Girl]

Just a pasting thought.  And you could be hit by a bus while walking to work.  Do you not go to work today or do you takes your chances.

I would rather have HRT and risk the cancer, then live one more day as male and be hit by the bus.

[LordKAT]

My father says cancer comes from extremes. Cutting something out entirely or eating/using something exclusively.  I sometimes think he is right. Best cancer preventive measure is all things in moderation. This includes stress which we know doesn't quite work voluntarily at times.

[Sandy]

You have a better chance of injuring your liver or getting a stroke if you have deep vein thrombosis.

Dosages and current physical health are important.  Naturally, stop smoking and excessive drink.  Your doctor will be very interested in liver function in your initial tests as well as your hormone levels.

And don't overdose.  More does not mean faster.  Just more severe strain on your liver.  Remember you only get one liver.

-Sandy

[melanie2009]

The importance of medical supervision cannot be over exaggerated. Even if you think you are in fine health, there can still be things up with you that might be unknown to you. A doctor will know what to test for, and a medical will give a good reference point for the future.

/M

[Asfsd4214]

The importance of medical supervision cannot be over exaggerated. Even if you think you are in fine health, there can still be things up with you that might be unknown to you. A doctor will know what to test for, and a medical will give a good reference point for the future.

/M

You know what I think is over exaggerated? The competence of doctors.

Don't get me wrong, I love my doctor, she's awesome and knowledgeable and easy to talk too and good at discussing things with you as a person and not just as their ignorant patient.

But there are a LOT of bad, incompetent doctors around. This forum is FULL of examples of doctors doing things that quite obviously are questionable at best. Doctors are people too, they are by no means perfect, and this hyper do-as-they-say mentality is only a little bit better than not seeing a doctor at all in my opinion.



Disclaimer: The above post should not be construed to be supporting self-medication under any circumstances as your first or exclusive option. You should always try to find a doctor before starting HRT and if you are self medicating you should try to find a doctor ASAP. All I'm saying is that don't be afraid to question your doctor.

[Iceprincess]

Thank you everyone for your replies!

And sorry for not replying quickly, I've been too busy with homework and other things :S

I don't understand how this got derailed into a debate about whether or not I'm ready for transitioning, but here's the thing: please, don't jump to conclusions if you don't know all the details and seriously, take the chill pill, there's no need for comments like "dying for the transition" and overreacting about this...

anyway, I'll stop there, don't wanna start a flamewar... and again, thank you!

[Eva Marie]

Every second of every day you are at risk of s**t happening. Live your life to be happy and helpful, and live every day.

Words I try to live by. My new philosophy since i was recently flattened by a stroke. Life ends in death; you can choose to live life cowering under the covers or live it to it's full potential. I'm going for the whole enchalada.

[Silver]

Can't help it.

enchalada.

Enchilada.

[LordKAT]

off topic but

enchalada seems right for life and enchilada seems good for eatin'

[Iceprincess]

umm...