Weighing Estrogen Replacement, Cancer Risk

Could the cancer risk associated with hormone replacement therapy, as it is practiced presently, have something to do with the source of material from which these hormones are manufactured? The risk of cancer is but one adverse side effect experienced by women who ingest the popular estrogen compound available on the market. Other unpleasant symptoms are edema, the inability of the liver to metabolize lipids, headaches, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure and nausea.

Presently, estrogen properties are being extracted from the urine of pregnant mares. While this estrogen is somewhat close to human estrogen in structure, there are molecular differences great enough to be of concern. Why don’t we put pressure on the pharmaceutical firms to come up with something more closely resembling human hormones? The smaller doses of the mare-produced hormone are not the answer.

JENNIFER ROBERTS

Marina del Rey