Artificial estrogen, biological sisters with breast cancer

Kimberly1961

My sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at 49-1/2 years old.  It was a big surprise because the family history was colon cancer.  She is 6 years older than I am.  Six years later when I was 49-1/2 years old, I was diagnosed.  My sister and I are not alike.  Our risk factors for breast cancer were not alike.  Even our cancers were not precisely alike, our receptors.  What we had in common was that our cancers were not visible on mammogram or ultrasound, so were diagnosed more advanced than one would like despite regular suggested testing.  We had in common that we suspected trouble even though the mamms and ultrasound showed no evidence of cancer.  She requested a biopsy despite negative mamm and ultrasound.  Her mamm and ultrasound were confusing to read because of previous biopsies. I was referred to a breast specialist that ordered an MRI that lit up as probable malignancy.  This was not based on mamm or ultrasound.  They gave me BI-RADS 2 a month before I had both breasts removed for a 3 cm cancer.   I had been been complaining of breast problem for 4 years post hysterectomy in the same area as my cancer for 4 years prior to my diagnosis.  I also had dense breasts.  Finally an MRI was reccommended.  Dense breasts made it difficult to diagnose either of us early without further testing.  People think they DID something to get breast cancer.  Sometimes other people think you DID something to get cancer.  My sister and my own risk factors, as known, are as different as can be.  There is no family history of breast cancer on either side until us.  We both were diagnosed at age 49-1/2.  The only thing we both question is artificial estrogen sparking it.  She was premenopausal using the pill for a short time trying to control heavy menstrual bleeding.  I had heavy pre-menopausal bleeding, opted for hysterectomy and low estrogen replacement, stopped within 6 months because of pain in the breast where I eventually had cancer, scared off by my sister's diagnosis when I had pain in the breasts.  My sister and I both felt there was a connection to prescription estrogen and the cancer rearing its head.  It was like the only thing we had in common for risk factors.  Well we both had some red hair dye, some antidepressants. My sister was BRCA negative.  I did not test because I have no children.  If anyone else has a story about artificial estrogen, then you noticed a big change or maybe a diagnosis, please share.  Anyone with dense breasts, please demand an MRI.  You are at higher risk.  Even with my sister, I did not know that mammography and ultrasound were not adequate to diagnose early.

lifelover

I took artificial estrogen for 3 years and bio-identical estrogen for 6 months before being diagnosed with breast cancer. 

I was at high risk for breast cancer because of radiation to my chest 17 years earlier for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. 

The year before my BC diagnosis, I felt a palpable lump on the lower, inner portion of my breast and had a mammo, ultrasound and fine needle biopsy and no cancer cells were found.  Then when I felt the lump growing slightly, I had another mammo, ultrasound and this time, a core needle biopsy.   My BC is 100% estrogen positive. 

I agree that mammo and ultrasound and depending on how well it is carried out, a fine needle biopsy are not neccessarily adequate.