Do women have to take post-menopausal hormone therapy after oophorectomy?

Use of low-dose hormone therapy after oophorectomy is controversial. While studies have shown that use of hormone therapy after menopause may increase a woman's risk of breast cancer, other studies suggest early menopause can cause its own serious risks.

Women who undergo prophylactic oophorectomy and don't use hormone therapy up to age 45 have a higher rate of premature death, cancer, heart disease and neurological diseases. For this reason, doctors typically recommend that younger women who have surgically induced menopause should consider taking low-dose hormone therapy for a short time and stop by ages 50 to 52.

It isn't entirely clear what effect hormone therapy might have on your cancer risk. Several studies have found that short-term hormone therapy doesn't increase the risk of breast cancer in women with BRCA mutations who have undergone prophylactic oophorectomy. Ask your doctor about your particular situation. If you decide to take low-dose estrogen, plan to discontinue this treatment after ages 50 to 52.

You may opt to have your uterus removed during your oophorectomy surgery so that you can take a type of hormone therapy (estrogen-only hormone therapy) that may be safer for women with a high risk of breast cancer. Discuss the benefits and risks of hysterectomy with your surgeon.