Estrogen and IVF

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emmacat
emmacat Member Posts: 17
edited July 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Hello,

I'm high risk for b/c and am about to start a donor egg IVF cycle.  I met with a breast surgeon and he said it was ok to proceed with IVF but I did not ask him the specifics about the high doses estrogen and progesterone I will be taking for 3-4 months.  I think it's much less than if I was doing IVF with my own eggs, but I'm still concerned.

I'm scheduled to take oral Estrace and Endometrium progesterone suppositories leading up to transfer and during the first trimester, but I can request a different delivery method.  

Does anyone know if it's preferable to do estrogen patches/vaginal estrogen instead of oral estrogen?  I heard something about the patches being better because they don't have to be processed by your liver.  I'm trying to minimize my exposure to estrogen and keep my circulating levels low.

My blood estrogen got up to 700 during my mock cycle.  Does anyone know about blood estrogen levels and what's preferable to stay below?

Thanks for any help! 

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  • lintrollerderby
    lintrollerderby Member Posts: 483
    edited July 2014

    Hi. I'm sorry this isn't a response to your question about estrogen and IVF. Have you met with a genetic counselor to get a better idea of what your risk level is and to discuss whether genetic testing might be an avenue to explore?

    Best of luck to you and I hope someone can answer about estrogen and IVF.

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  • emmacat
    emmacat Member Posts: 17
    edited July 2014

    Hi There,

    I'm not interested in pursuing genetic testing at this time.  The breast surgeon said I was high risk because my mother was diagnosed with pre-menopausal invasive b/c.  She also had her thymus radiated when she was an infant, so he did say that was a risk factor for her.

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  • lintrollerderby
    lintrollerderby Member Posts: 483
    edited July 2014

    Hi. I can certainly understand if you're not interested in genetic testing at this point; however, a genetic counselor doesn't always test. They can map out your family history and give you a more individualized risk assessment. Having one first-degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer will usually double your risk, but it's worth noting that even with a double in your risk, you're probably only at moderate risk instead of high risk. Many people over-estimate their risk (and this is understandable) or are advised by someone who does not specialize in the intricacies of risk level. I'm not speaking about you personally since I'm not familiar with your situation, but wanted to put this here for others who may read this in the future. For many women who have witnessed the devastation of a breast cancer diagnosis in a loved one, learning that their risk might not be as high as they've feared is often very relieving. 

    Certainly, do what is best for you. It took me awhile to decide to test after being diagnosed with invasive TNBC at age 34. I just wanted to offer you my perspective and that it's possible by knowing your individual risk level (even without testing), you may get more info on the safe limits of hormone usage that are more tailored to you as an individual. 

    I'm very sorry to hear of your mom and I wish you the best of luck with IVF and breast screening in the future. :)

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