{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Dr. Corinne Menn: The Truth About Hormone Replacement for BRCA Carriers and Previvers","description":"Guest: Dr. Corinne Menn Theme: Claiming agency in hereditary cancer risk, surgical menopause, and a new era of HRT care Episode summary When Dr. Corinne Menn\u2014board certified OB\/GYN, Menopause Society certified practitioner, 23+ year breast cancer survivor, and BRCA2 carrier\u2014joins us, she brings unparalleled lived and clinical expertise to walking the genetic line. In this conversation, Dr. Corinne Menn shares her deeply personal journey: breast cancer at 28, the loss of her mother to ovarian cancer, and the years navigating her own genetic risk and premature menopause. Together, we explore why BRCA (and other mutation) \u201cprevivors\u201d often land in a black hole of care, how miscommunication and provider fear still undermine evidence-based treatment, and the hopeful shift as new guidelines and cultural change begin to reshape what\u2019s possible for those living at hereditary risk. We cover Dr. Corinne Menn \u2019s origin story: the collision of residency, a breast cancer diagnosis in her 20s, and her mother\u2019s ovarian cancer and loss How outdated genetic testing, medical gaslighting, and trauma shaped her assertiveness as both patient and physician The \u201cCEO of your health\u201d mindset: building self-trust and voice inside overwhelming medical realities The giant gap in menopause and HRT education across the entire medical field (~20 years of misinformation and fear after the WHI study) What most doctors STILL get wrong about HRT for BRCA carriers\u2014and how new FDA changes and Menopause Society guidelines support safer, more nuanced use Proactive care: why pre-surgery counseling and immediate access to HRT matter for quality of life, bone, heart, and brain health \u201cFemale castration\u201d\u2014naming the reality and impact of surgical menopause and how it\u2019s minimized systemically How trauma-informed therapy and a more holistic approach are essential for hereditary cancer communities and all patients in medical systems Highlights & takeaways \u201cAll BRCA previvors must demand pre-op counseling and a pre-op management plan on how their doctor is going to manage their abrupt surgical menopause. This is not optional.\u201d The harm of not providing HRT after surgical menopause is severe: double the risk of heart disease, dementia, osteoporosis, mood disorders\u2014especially for those under 45. New FDA changes (Spring 2024): the black box warning on estrogen is being removed\/updated, allowing for clearer, less fear-based counseling about HRT\u2019s risks and benefits. For BRCA (and other mutation) carriers, HRT up to natural menopause is standard of care. The fear of HRT, especially after risk-reducing surgeries, is both outdated and damaging. Genitourinary syndrome of menopause deserves more attention and treatment\u2014local vaginal estrogen is safe, effective, and newly destigmatized. \u201cIf you wouldn't tell a man at 31 who lost his testicles to just try coconut oil\u2014don't do that to female patients after oophorectomy.\u201d Content note Includes discussion of parental death, breast\/ovarian cancer, early menopause, medical trauma, sexual health, and systemic gaps in care. Resources mentioned & organizations NCCN Guidelines on Risk Reduction & HRT: NCCN.org The Menopause Society (formerly NAMS): menopause.org A New Era of Hormone Therapy: FDA Update on Estrogen Labeling: See FDA press releases and The Menopause Society\u2019s statement Risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) in BRCA+: NIH overview Dr. Menn\u2019s Instagram: @drmennobgyn Dr. Menn\u2019s Substack + education for previvors: drmenn.substack.com MyAllo.com \u2014 telehealth menopause & cancer survivorship platform with expert providers in all 50 states: myallo.com Support & therapy for hereditary cancer risk: Bright Pink, FORCE - Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered Connect If this episode resonated, please follow, rate, and share. Find Sara on IG\/TikTok @FaceTheRiskTogether and get free tools, group support, and offerings at the link in bio. You\u2019re not alone\u2014we can walk this line together. ","author_name":"Walking the Genetic Line","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/584990","html":"