Abstract

PIP: A continuing education examination of estrogen therapy is discussed. The most common indication of estrogen therapy is for replacement in menopausal women. Estrogens can also be used in the treatment of certain types of cancer such as prostatic cancer. A diagnosis of estrogen deficiency must be established first and then estrogen therapy must be selectively used. Psychoemotional problems must be ruled out. Perimenopausal patients may be treated somewhat differently than postmenopausal patients. 1 of the major controversies surrounding estrogen therapy, other than cancer and osteoporosis, is its implication to coronary heart disease. The evidence indicates that estrogen in some way contributes to endometrial carcinoma. Estrogen administration does not seem to show a correlation to breast cancer. Actual treatment must be individualized, and which estrogen, how much, and how long it should be used is still not clear.