In this episode, we’re joined by Debra Zaslow—author and storyteller—who shares her personal experience with hormone replacement therapy, including some immediate and unexpected effects that took her by surprise.

From that starting point, we explore several unexpected ideas:

•  Estrogen alone may reduce breast cancer risk in certain groups 
•  Not all “progesterone” is the same—synthetic versions can behave very differently 
•  The way a hormone is delivered (pill vs patch vs topical) can significantly change its effects 
•  Hormones are often prescribed without measuring levels—unlike almost every other hormone in medicine 
•  Many key hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, are made from cholesterol 

Dr. Deborah Gordon and I revisit hormone therapy in response to your strong interest in the topic. The conversation moves from lived experience to clinical nuance—how different formulations behave, why dosing and monitoring matter, and how to think more precisely about risks and benefits, especially in menopause and in more complex settings like cancer history.

A candid, grounded discussion for anyone trying to make sense of hormones beyond the headlines.

Dawn Lemanne, MD
Oregon Integrative Oncology
Leave no stone unturned.

Deborah Gordon, MD
Northwest Wellness and Memory Center
Building Healthy Brains