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Jackie,
Premarin cream contains horse estrogens which include estrone (E1), one of the estrogens that stimulate breast tissue. Estrace and some others contain estradiol (E2), which can also stimulate tumor growth. Estriol (E3) is available from compounding pharmacies as a 0.5% vaginal cream. It is HIGHLY effective for vaginal atrophy and dryness, and does NOT stimulate breast tissue in vivo or in vitro. (It also probably does not help bone density or blood lipids as the other estrogens can). But for BC patients and survivors, it is MUCH safer than estrone or estradiol. Why isn't it promoted? It isn't availabe as a patented drug so no drug company profit motives. Most physicians do not distinguish one "estrogen" from another, including those identical to the ones our ovaries make versus those that are synthetic and chemically just slightly different, which allows them to be patented as drugs.
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IDC 6 mm l.b. 3/08 age 49; ER <1%+; PR -; KI67 40%; HER2 +++by FISH; lumpectomy/snb 4/08; extensive dcis found at surgery (didn't show in bx or mammo); micromet in sn; MRI breasts and chest 4/08-NED; re-excision l.b. 5/08; refused axillary node dissection; no ca found in re-excision tissue. TCH q 3 wk x 6 finished 10/08; whole breast rad x 7 wk finished 12/08; refused axillary and supraclavicular rad. Herceptin thru 6/09. Refused tamoxifen & aromatase inhibitors.
1/13 so far so good:-) have vestibular hypofunction from chemo but its all good since now officially on borrowed time!
Last edited by rondo; 03-02-2009 at 03:28 PM..
Reason: misspelled
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