It appears to protect from breast and uterine cancer while protecting bones and the heart. It causes a dramatic reduction in the risks from breast cancer while protecting bones and the heart. Gynecologists do not care for this medication because it stimulates the lining of the uterus and may increase the risk for uterine cancer. It may also cause severe hot flashes. Unfortunately, there appear to be a group of woman who have problems absorbing estrogen tablets.
Estrogen taken by mouth has to pass through the liver before reaching estrogen sensitive tissues.
The liver contains enzymes which can inactivate the estrogen before it even reaches the places in the body where it is supposed to work. Unfortunately, there are many women who take estrogen for many years and her physician fails to determine if it is really doing anything. Tragically, she does not derive the benefit from the medication she is faithfully taking. Ways in which the clinical effectiveness of estrogen can be judged include the presence of menstruation, effects of vaginal tissue and cervical mucous, the Pap smear, or biochemical measurements. There is one form of estrogen tablet which is always absorbed.