Safety of Estring to treat vaginal dryness?

Page last modified on: January 5, 2010

Question from ELK: I'm using Estring for estrogen supplementation because of the dryness from Arimidex; is there any new information about the safety of doing this?: Answer —Kathy Miller, M.D.: Nothing new. But our previous studies would raise concern that this might not be a safe approach. The Estring (estradiol vaginal ring) or other topical forms of estrogen like Premarin (chemical name: conjugated estrogens tablets, USP) cream have very little estrogen that is absorbed and circulates through the body, but they do have some estrogen that is absorbed. And since the aromatase inhibitors like Arimidex function by decreasing the estrogen level, that makes us concerned that the estrogen that is absorbed from the Estring could interfere with the results of Arimidex. Arimidex reduces estrogen levels, and you are giving some of that estrogen back with the Estring, so we would not recommend that combination.

On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from the 2009 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Kathy Miller, M.D. and Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S. answered your questions about the latest updates on breast cancer risk, screening techniques, treatment options, and more.

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Meet the Experts

Kathy D. Miller, M.D. is associate professor of medical oncology at Indiana University, and a Sheila D. Ward Scholar.

Kristin Brill, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a breast surgeon and clinical instructor at the Thomas Jefferson University Department of Surgery in Philadelphia, PA. She also maintains a practice in Cherry Hill, N.J. Dr. Brill is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In addition, she has published breast cancer research in medical journals such as Annals of Plastic Surgery and Cancer, and she has presented research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.