9. Understanding the Fear About Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer With Dr. Wendy Wolfman

Renowned Canadian OB/GYN Dr. Wendy Wolfman discusses the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study whose results drastically and negatively altered the way doctors prescribed hormone therapy and the way women received menopause care for decades. Its findings seemed to link hormone therapy and breast cancer, or did it? Over 20 years since the study's results were released, the scientific and medical community have taken a closer look at what the study ACTUALLY found and has since come to very different conclusions. Unfortunately, the fears surrounding hormone therapy use have persisted, leaving millions of women suffering through menopause needlessly.

In this episode, Dr. Wolfman discusses the study and breaks down the important details that reveal a much more nuanced and positive outcome of the use of hormone therapy in menopause care. She also discusses why the fears and myths about breast cancer persist to this day among patients and doctors.

Dr. Wendy Wolfman leads The Menopause Clinic and Mature Women's Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. Together with the hospital's foundation arm, they are looking to expand this program to create the Centre for Mature Women's Health. It will address the entire spectrum of health challenges that women face as they age. For more information: https://www.maturewomenshealth.ca/ and https://www.mountsinai.on.ca/care/womens-unit/menopause-clinic. You can also find them on Instagram @sinaihealthfoundation.

Find Melissa Grelo on Instagram @MelissaGrelo and @AgingPowerfullyWithMG, or on her website AgingPowerfullyWithMelissaGrelo.com.

Find clips of the show on YouTube @MelissaGrelo.

Producer: Melissa Grelo

Technical Producer and Editor: Drew Garner