Hormone Status

I'd love to jump in but it was such a complete answer, I don't have much to add! I will however reinforce that despite all of our advances, there is still so much that we don't know and there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Environmental influences probably play a greater role than we currently appreciate, and we are becoming more aware of the influence of lifestyle factors such as diet, activity level / weight, and alcohol intake. The balancing act continues. I was so lucky...I had a team of doctors who were very forthcoming in providing information I would need, so it's actually hard to say. I was also pre-menopausal so the options for hormone therapy were clear - tamoxifen was and remains the gold standard. I can tell you, however, that when I was diagnosed there wasn't talk about luminal A vs. luminal B vs. other cancers. I'm not sure when those categories came into view, but at the time Herceptin was new and Arimidex was just emerging from clinical trial (I THINK I have my timing right - please correct me if I'm wrong!) I'm obviously not a doctor, and I'd love to have one jump in here...

However, even today, the issues that remain for me revolve around what I can do to keep myself healthy. The challenge is that there is STILL so much we don't know about hormone status and also importantly, what in the environment (using that term loosely) impacts hormone levels. Since my treatments, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is OUT. I've yet to hear a final word on soy. Obesity and wine both produce estrogen. On the other hand, hormone-free animal products, from meat to milk, are widely available.

And then, we can rest assured that another threat is around the corner. As an example of what it lurking, I offer the pesticide atrazine. I was at a program run by the California Breast Cancer Research Program, with a primary focus on the role of the environment on breast cancer. It was there that I learned about atrazine, used particularly on corn (which is, of course, ubiquitous in today's ready-to-eat world of processed foods). According to studies, atrazine has not only led to the development of ovaries in male frogs, but those frogs have actually been able to reproduce (http://www.livescience.com/10957-pesticide-turns-male-frogs-females.html).

I'm not sure I answered your question directly and sadly, there remains so much we don't know. For what it is worth, I work hard at finding that balance between remaining aware and vigilant, with embracing a full, rich life.