Of hormonal therapy for women of menopause is not always an easy or good choice to help with the symptoms of menopause. Hormone Replacement Therapy used to be considered to ease symptoms of menopause and keep middle-aged women energetic. What’s safe isn’t necessarily effective, and what’s effective isn’t really safe. The studies conducted in 2002 sponsored by National Institutes of Health found that Hormone Replacement Therapy raised the risk of breast cancer, heart attacks, stroke and blood clots. So, the Food and Drug Administration has advised women with severe menopausal symptoms to take as low a does as possible and take for only a brief period of time.


M.D. Anderson Cancer Center of Houston reported that a full 7% reduction in breast cancer of the women of hormonal therapy who have stopped or took very low doses. This really means that from the year 2002 to 2003 14,000 fewer women were diagnosed with breast cancer. The age of the women in which breast cancer dropped was age 50-69. Tumors seem to feed on estrogen, and when these women stopped the Hormone Replacement Therapy then the tumors had nothing to feed upon.


Many of the women who would have turned to Hormone Replacement Therapy have now turned to using dietary supplements containing the herb black cohosh. This is quite common in the herbs and supplement aisles of many health food stores and near the pharmacy departments. Studies were conducted using a sugar pill, black cohosh, and a placebo. The percentage of hormonal therapy reductions turns out to be the same for each of the groups. 30% of the women within a year’s times had a reduction of symptoms. The study suggested that the women who want relief will have fewer symptoms within a 6-12 month time frame without treatment.


The studies on women of hormonal therapy are still being conducted, and new interpretations are changing the view of the investigators. For instance a 24 % increase in breast cancer in women taking combination Hormone Replacement Therapy compared with those on the placebo. Nearly twice as many women on Hormone Replacement Therapy had an abnormal mammogram with increased breast density. Also what’s newly been discovered is that women of hormonal therapy the cancers were more advanced and more likely to involve lymph nodes lead to a less favorable breast cancer prognosis.


Women of hormonal therapy felt that Hormone replacement therapy was the only way to cope with the night sweats and other symptoms of menopause. Many women want to have some kind of medicine to help relieve them of their symptoms. Estrogen is the concern for menopausal women. The medical field believes in the findings of their tests and studies that Hormone Replacement Therapy my cause more invasive breast cancer and heart disease.


What are the menopausal women to do? Hang in there. Do what you can to help you with your symptoms. If your symptoms are severe, then seek medical advice. Low dosages for short periods of time may be your answer. The final analysis of the test results from all trials and studies will not be available for several years. If the dietary supplements help, then take them. Contact your physician.