Treatments marketed as natural alternatives to HRT are not only ineffective but could be harmful, experts say. Menopause experts have issued a warning to women using bioidentical hormone therapy, claiming the treatment is highly ineffective, costly, and could put women at risk of cancer. Sold as a menopause treatment, bioidentical hormone therapy is often marketed as a "natural" alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and is a combination of oestrogen, progestogen and other hormones. Women are prescribed the treatment by a GP, and the prescription is then made into a cream, lozenge or implant by a compounding pharmacist (who customises the medication). Experts say the appeal of the treatment is that it is marketed as a natural, tailor-made hormone therapy that is biologically identical to the hormones our bodies produce. But endocrinologist Susan Davis, a professor of women’s health at Monash University and President of the International Menopause Society, […]