Surrogacy Hormones and Breast Cancer

March 2006 I started the process of taking hormones to become a surrogate.  After taking high dosages of progesterone, estrogen and lupron, over a 6 month period, I was pregnant with twins and due in April 2008.  The surrogacy was a success and I delivered healthy twins.  Now, two years after starting the hormones, I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  There is no history of breast cancer in my family.  I live a very healthy life, eating the right foods, excercise regularly, and now I have cancer.  My life has completely changed and my research is suggesting these high levels of hormones  could have caused this.  All I tried to do was help a couple have children who were told, for thirteen years, that they could not, not I am trying to save my life.  Can high dosages of progesterone, estrogen and lupron cause breast cancer?

[Wessy]

Hi, First off I would like to say I am terribly sorry that this is happening to you. How shocking and horrible.
I am responding to your email not as an expert or as a doctor but as someone who was actually wondering the same thing. I was never on surragate status hormones and probably never had the amount you had but, nevertheless, I was put on birth control pills since I was 15 (am now 37) and during the last few years, was put on double amount doses to irradicate irregular periods. The pills only made matters worse and was told to stop taking them about 8 months ago. Now, I am facing the potential and highly likely diagnosis of bc.
I have heard so many stories about "yes, added hormones can increase your risk of bc" and have heard stories to the contrary as well. The paper in the birth control pill box does have a section that states that bc is increased by 34% if taking for long periods of time but maybe they just have to say that because of rare incidents. I don't know but all I know is that I am beginning to think that it might be correct.
I hope all goes well for you in your treatment and that you are doing as best as you can.
My thoughts are with you, Celeste  

[lhughes]

I'd like to say thank you for being a surrogate.  As a person who had difficulty getting pregnant, I know the trials that some women go through to have a child.  So, thank you for being someone's gift.

As for the hormones, I don't know...I have mixed feelings about all that.  I was breastfeeding my first child when my lump was found.  I had taken birth control for more than a dozen years, then we had to use follistim and progesterone to get a viable pregnancy.

So, could the use of the fertility drugs been an influence in my cancer?  Was the cancer already there before the pregnancy and then made worse by the drugs?  I don't know the answers.  All I know is that I survived cancer and an additional pregnancy and I am thankful for it.

I would try not to focus on the "what did I do" because that may not have even mattered.  I've seen lots of women write in that they don't have a history of bc in their family and they are afficted with this disease.  You can't go back and undo it, all you can do is go forward and beat it.

You have given a wonderful gift to a family, take pride in that and share in their joy.
Take care and I hope all will be well with you soon!