I am 53 yrs old. I recently had a doc discover a cyst on my ovary during a pelvic scan for a minor health issue. Went to my gyn and he did an ultrasound. looks like the cyst is increasing in size.

Hi Anonymous,
I was able to find information on the National Cancer Institute website regarding the impact of menopause replacement therapy on the risk for ovarian cancer. "Data from the WHI Estrogen-plus-Progestin Study indicate that there may be an increased risk of ovarian cancer with use of estrogen plus progestin . After 5.6 years of follow-up, a 58 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer was reported in women using estrogen plus progestin compared with nonusers, but the increased risk was not statistically significant. One observational study suggested that regimens of estrogen plus progestin do not increase the risk of ovarian cancer if progestin is used for more than 15 days per month, but this study was too small to draw firm conclusions. More research is needed to clarify the relationship between menopausal hormone use, particularly for estrogen plus progestin, and the risk of ovarian cancer.
I strongly suggest that you talk with your physician. Ask what your personal risk for ovarian cancer is based on the particular hormone replacement therapy that you are taking. Also, ask your doctor why you are experiencing hot flashes, since hormone replacement therapy should relieve them.