On this episode of Innovate & Elevate, Sharon sits down with Dr. Corinne Menn, an OB-GYN, menopause specialist, and breast cancer survivor, to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in women’s health: the relationship between breast cancer risk and hormone therapy. Recorded eight days after the FDA announced it will remove the long-standing black box language on hormone therapy, this conversation traces the legacy of the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative press conference, what the data actually showed, and how modern evidence can better guide women and their clinicians today.
What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
- What really happened in July 2002, and why the WHI press conference (held eight days before doctors saw the full study) reshaped hormone therapy for a generation.
- The difference between estrogen alone and combined estrogen–progestin therapy, and why age, timing, and formulation matter.
- Why every major professional society (ASCO, ACOG, American Urological Association, The Menopause Society) agrees that local, low-dose vaginal hormones do not increase breast cancer risk, recurrence, or mortality.
- The role of tools like the Tyrer–Cuzick breast cancer risk model in understanding your baseline risk - and how Dr. Menn interprets those results in the context of HRT.
- Dr. Menn’s own story: being diagnosed with ER/PR-positive breast cancer at 28 during OB-GYN residency, going through abrupt menopause, and later discovering a BRCA2 mutation after updated genetic testing
- How she now counsels breast cancer survivors about menopause, quality of life, and when hormone therapy may or may not be appropriate
- Practical ways women can prepare for a time-limited doctor’s visit to have more informed, individualized conversations about breast cancer risk and hormone therapy
As always, nothing in this episode is personal medical advice. Please talk with your own clinician about your individual history, risks, and options.
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Connect with Dr. Corinne Menn:
- On LinkedIn
- On Instagram
- Learn more on her website
Breast Cancer Risk Models & Screening Tools:
Tyrer–Cuzick (IBIS) Breast Cancer Risk Model - https://ems-trials.org/riskevaluator/
Gail Model (Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool) - https://bcrisktool.cancer.gov
POSITIVE Trial – New England Journal of Medicine - https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2215851
Hormone Therapy, Menopause Guidelines & Professional Societies:
The Menopause Society - https://www.menopause.org/
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) - https://www.asco.org/
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) - https://www.acog.org/
American Urological Association (AUA) - https://www.auanet.org/
WHI & FDA Background Materials:
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) – National Institutes of Health - https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/science/womens-health-initiative-whi
WHI 2002 Press Release - https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/news/2002/hrtupdate
Publications & Books Referenced
Estrogen Matters – Avrum Bluming & Carol Tavris - https://www.estrogenmatters.com/
Maria Shriver Sunday Paper Article - https://www.mariashriversundaypaper.com/warning-label-menopause-hormone-therapies/
FDA-Approved Therapies Mentioned:
- Duavee (Conjugated Estrogens + Bazedoxifene) - https://www.duavee.com/
Intrarosa (Prasterone/DHEA) - https://www.intrarosa.com/
Micronized Progesterone (Prometrium) - https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2002/20846_prometrium_lbl.pdf
Clinicians Mentioned in the Episode:
Dr. Rachel Rubin - https://www.rachelrubinmd.com/
Dr. Kelly Casperson - https://www.kellycaspersonmd.com/
Dr. Vonda Wright - https://www.drvondawright.com/
Dr. Sharon Malone - https://www.sharonmalonemd.com/
Dr. Heather Hirsch - https://www.heatherhirschmd.com/
Additional Trusted Medical & Genetics Resources
Alloy Women’s Health - https://www.myalloy.com/
USPSTF Screening Guidelines https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/
Myriad Genetics – BRCA and BART Testing - https://myriad.com/patients-families/hereditary-cancer/
National Society of Genetic Counselors (Find a Counselor) - https://www.nsgc.org/page/find-a-genetic-counselor
Skip to the Good Part:
00:00 – Local Vaginal Estrogen and the Black Box Barrier
01:00 – Introducing Dr. Corinne Menn and the HHS Moment
02:00 – What the FDA Label Change Actually Means
04:00 – The 2002 WHI Press Conference and Its Fallout
06:00 – Dr. Menn’s Personal Story: Cancer at 28 and Abrupt Menopause
09:00 – Modern HRT vs. WHI Formulations
13:30 – Time-Limited Visits and the Need for Prepared Patients
21:00 – Knowing Your Baseline Breast Cancer Risk
29:00 – Does HRT Cause Breast Cancer? What the Data Actually Show
36:00 – Breast Cancer Survivors, Choice, and Quality of Life
Please note: The information on this podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult with a healthcare professional regarding your individual health needs.
About Dr. Corinne Menn: Dr. Corinne Menn is a board-certified OB-GYN and nationally recognized menopause specialist with more than two decades of clinical experience. A breast cancer survivor herself, she brings a unique blend of medical expertise and lived experience to her work, helping women navigate menopause, breast cancer risk, and hormone therapy with clarity and compassion. Dr. Menn is certified by the North American Menopause Society and serves as a clinical educator on midlife women’s health, breast cancer survivorship, and evidence-based hormone therapy.
About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at Sands Capital and McKinsey & Company, and she is a published author on personal finance. As the host of the Innovate and Elevate podcast, she passionately advocates for menopause care and HRT (hormone replacement therapy), challenging the silence around human health XX (also known as women’s health). She aims to help women navigate midlife and achieve longevity by aging with power. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.
This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts.
