The Hysterectomy would have nothing to do with the production of Estrogen ... unless of course your ovaries were also removed. Hormone Replacement Therapy has been proven to increase the incidence of breast cancer and since your cancer was ER+ and you had medication to block the production of the hormone I wouldn't think you would be prescribed HRT now. Keep in mind that the ovaries produce the Estrogen ... not the Uterus. Your sister's cancer would not be related in any way to your cancer ... the fact that one was ER+ and one was not has no bearing on the situation. Some cancers require Estrogen for growth and some don't. Yours would be considered the less aggressive type. From reading your post I think some type of counselling or maybe a support group might help you deal with your feelings. It never hurts to give it a try ... Kindest regards .....
Dear Sissy66: In general, hormone therapy is not recommended in women who have had HR+ breast cancer. However, these decisions can be discussed with your oncologist and weighed benefit against risk. Your sister’s hormone status has no impact on your situation. There may be other medications that could be tried to deal with some of the menopausal symptoms. Your oncologist may be able to offer some help, a gynecologist or primary care physician who specializes in menopause (with consideration of your cancer) may be another suggestion. If you can locate a counselor or psychologist, it may also be helpful with some of the other “life” issues you mention.