Breast cancer and low-dose hormonal treatment

Approximately 80,000 women are living in Denmark after breast cancer. Many breast cancer patients go through the menopause early, or it is induced by treatment. This may cause symptoms such as vaginal dryness and pain during sex, which are often exacerbated by cancer treatment.

Vagifem is a local treatment of the vagina with female sex hormones, which is effective and can relieve the symptoms.

However, Vagifem is not recommended for women who have had breast cancer, because it is uncertain whether it increases the risk of a recurrence. Some patients take it nevertheless, since there is a group of women with severe symptoms from cancer treatment, who reject further cancer treatment because of the vaginal symptoms.

In 2010 the female hormone content of Vagifem was reduced to a lower dose. It has not been investigated whether it is safe for women with breast cancer to use Vagifem with the lower hormone level.

This leaves many women without suitable treatment for their symptoms.
“With the support of the Vissing Foundation we will analyse data from Danish health registers to investigate whether low-dose Vagifem increases the risk of recurrence of breast cancer. Additionally, our results can be used as guidance for the treatment of patients with long-term side effects from breast cancer,” says Lina Steinrud Mørch, team leader at the Danish Cancer Institute, The Danish Cancer Society.

If it is shown that a low dose of Vagifem is safe, it will improve the quality of life for many women.