Progesterone receptor positive breast cancer

by Louise
(Welland, Ontario, Canada)

I am 49 yrs old and have been using NatPro for about 2 years. It has really helped to alleviate my perimenopausal symptoms (hot flashes, palpitations, dizziness, breast tenderness, fatigue, anxiety, depression), and there has been a real improvement in my quality of life since I began using it.

I would like to recommend your progesterone cream to my 75 yr old mother, but am concerned about her previous (20 yrs ago) diagnosis of progesterone receptor positive ductal carcinoma in situ. She had a lumpectomy, radiation therapy, a five year course of Tamoxifen and continues with yearly follow-up exams (all of which have been negative). She used high dose estrogen birth control when she was younger, and then HRT during menopause. I realize that breast cancer is stimulated by estrogen, but have been unable to find any information on the role of the progesterone receptor in breast cancer tissue and was hoping that you could give me some information.

Thank you for your wonderful product and all of your great information.

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Progesterone receptor positive breast cancer

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Nov 09, 2010
 Progesterone receptor positive breast cancer
by: Wray

Hi Louise Thanks for the kind words! And I'm so happy progesterone has helped you. About your mother, oestrogen is still necessary to induce the progesterone receptors. So a high level of oestrogen would stimulate the progesterone receptors, which is obviously what happened to your mother with all the oestrogen she was taking. Which is why she was given the tamoxifen, an oestrogen too, albeit very mild, see here. But only oestrogen can cause proliferation, progesterone causes differentiation, ie it stops mitosis. Oestrogen is a mitogen, known to cause cells to divide and multiply, it's also an inflammatory agent. Whereas progesterone is an anti-inflammatory. Interestingly hormone 'manipulation' ie tamoxifen, is only of value if the cancer is an OR-positive DCIS tumour, see here. We do have a page on Cancer and progesterone, please read through it, particularly the studies, I think you'll be reassured. We also have a page on HRT and Contraceptives, please read through these too. You might have a friend, or your mother knows someone who is taking these. Another interesting point in the following paper, shows that tamoxifen induces progesterone receptor expression for up to 6 weeks after commencing therapy., ie tamoxifen, being an oestrogen, stimulates progesterone receptors, see here. Much as when first starting progesterone, this stimulates the oestrogen receptors, causing all those oestrogen dominance symptoms many women get. Dr Lee wrote an excellent book on breast cancer, he explains what DCIS is, please consider getting a copy, see here. I think this will reassure you too. Take care Wray

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