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--- Tom Keller <tomkeller@comcast.
> The Phantom wrote:
>
> "Aren't there birth control pills that use such
> things in combination
> with a form of testosterone? Depo Provera? (name
> brand etc) or other
> like substances?"
>
> ****
> Birth control pills are almost all combinations of
> estrogen (virtually
> all ethinyl estradiol now) and a
> progestogen/
> confident that
> these progesterone-
> anabolic activity.
>
> Depo-Povera is depot (intramuscular)
> medroxyprogesterone acetate.
>
> Tom Keller
> Deerfield, IL USA
Below is an article illustrating estrogen/testostero
treatment for menopause and possible dangerous side
effects.
Seems that testosterone not increases the risk for
prostate cancer but for breast cancer as well
Ralph Giarnella MD
Southington Ct USA
*******
Menopause Treatment a Cancer Risk?
Denise Mann
WebMD Health News 2006. © 2006 WebMD Inc.
July 24, 2006 -- Women who take the hormones estrogen
and testosterone to combat hot flashes, decreased
libido, and other symptoms of menopause may be at an
increased risk of developing breast cancer, say
researchers.
Older studies have shown that estrogen plus
progesterone increases breast cancer risk, but until
now there has been little research on what effect
testosterone has on such risk. While considered the
male sex hormone, women, too, have testosterone and as
they age, their natural levels decline.
Some evidence suggests that many of the symptoms of
menopause -- including decreased sex drive, worse
moods, and poorer quality of life -- may be related to
a decline in testosterone. And the use of testosterone
as part of hormone replacement therapy appears to be
on the rise. The number of women in the study who used
estrogen-plus-
dramatically from 33 in 1988 to 550 in 1998.
Long-Term Effects of Hormone Therapy
In the new study, in the July 24 issue of the Archives
of Internal Medicine, researchers led by Rulla M.
Tamimi, ScD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and
Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues
studied the long-term effects of
estrogen-plus-
who were part of the Nurses' Health Study. The women
completed an initial questionnaire and follow-up
surveys every two years that included questions about
menopausal status, medical conditions, and the use of
hormone therapy.
There were 4,610 cases of breast cancer among
postmenopausal women during 24 years of follow-up.
Women who were currently taking estrogen plus
testosterone had a 77% higher risk of developing
breast cancer than those who had never used hormone
therapy. By contrast, women currently using estrogen
showed a 15% increased risk of breast cancer and those
who were taking estrogen plus progesterone had a 58%
increased risk of breast cancer.
What's more, women who had gone through menopause
naturally and took estrogen plus testosterone had 2.5
times the risk of breast cancer than those who had
never used hormone therapy. Estrogen-only therapy
showed a 23% increased risk and
estrogen-plus-
increased risk in those women with natural menopause.
Exactly how testosterone may increase the risk of
breast cancer is not fully understood, but researchers
speculate that enzymes in the breast tissue may
convert testosterone to estradiol, an estrogen-like
hormone that may contribute to the development of
breast cancer.
Risks vs. Benefits
So what's a woman to do?
"Given the substantial evidence implicating combined
estrogen plus progestin therapy in breast cancer and
the results of the present study regarding estrogen
plus testosterone therapy, women and their physicians
should reconsider use and, more specifically,
long-term use of these therapies," the researchers
conclude. "Although postmenopausal therapies may
provide improvement with respect to sexual
functioning, general well-being, and bone health, the
increased risk of breast cancer may outweigh these
benefits."
When it comes to treating the symptoms of menopause,
"'safe' is a relative term," says Donnica Moore, MD, a
women's health expert based in Far Hills, N.J. "There
is no product -- prescription or over-the-counter
(OTC) -- that works that is absolutely free of side
effects. And there are also risks, per se, of not
treating symptoms," Moore says. "There is no
one-size-fits-
with menopausal symptoms or concerns should speak with
her doctor, who is in the best position to help her
decide what's best for her given her unique
circumstances, her symptoms, her risks, and her
medical history."
The use of testosterone as part of a hormone
replacement therapy may continue to increase, Moore
predicts. "This is in large part due to increased
awareness of the benefits of testosterone for women
with decreased libido," she tells WebMD.
"Women should not take any OTC or pharmaceutically
created testosterone that isn't prescribed by their
doctor -- and your doctor knows your specific risks,"
says Lila E. Nachtigall, MD, a reproductive
endocrinologist and director of the Women's Wellness
program at New York University School of Medicine in
New York City. Nachtigall is also the author of
several books including Estrogen.
"The bottom line is that women must discuss their own
risks and benefits with their doctor."
SOURCES: Tamimi, R.M, et al. Archives of Internal
Medicine, July 24, 2006; vol 166: pp 1483-1489;
Donnica Moore, MD, women's health expert based in Far
Hills, N.J. Lila E. Nachtigall, MD, reproductive
endocrinologist; director, Women's Wellness program at
New York University School of Medicine, New York City;
and author, Estrogen.
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