Approved by the FDA in 2001, the patch is sold by prescription and releases ethinyl estradiol (a type of estrogen), and a progestin called norelgestromin via the skin into the bloodstream.
So we know that estrogen plus a progestin is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but those aren't the hormones that we typically prescribe now.
And the arm with estrogen plus, so when it was Premarin that was used, Premarin plus progestin, that was stopped early because they reached the threshold of concern about breast cancer.
So we're coming back around to understanding that maybe there should be more to hormone replacement therapy than just estrogen and progestin, but we need a lot more studies about that.
So, as we sort of got more women who were taking hormones, we found that there were some tweaks that need to be made along the way and added the progestin component to it.
Yes, hormone replacement therapy, typically it is comprised of estrogen, which is the secret sauce in hormone replacement therapy, and a progestin, which is the second hormone that you take when you have an intact uterus.