The FDA Denied Him. 30 Years Later, They Removed the Box Warning | Dr. Avrum Bluming
In 1992, the FDA told Dr. Avrum Bluming it would be "irresponsible" to give estrogen to breast cancer survivors. He did the study anyway and his work changed everything we know about estrogen fear!
Dr. Avrum Bluming is a medical oncologist, emeritus clinical professor of medicine at USC, former senior investigator for the National Cancer Institute, and co-author of Estrogen Matters. He's been fighting for women's access to hormone therapy for over 30 years.
What you will learn:
Why the FDA denied his study and the response when he asked if anyone read his data: "Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger".
How his wife's premature menopause at 45 changed his entire approach to patient care.
What happened when he presented his data to 8,500 oncologists in 1997.
Why there are now 26 studies on estrogen in breast cancer survivors (only 1 showed increased risk).
How the WHI estrogen alone arm showed a 23% decrease in breast cancer yet we put a black box warning on it.
Why nobody knows what actually causes breast cancer (even after 40+ years of treating it).
What changed in November 2025 when the FDA finally removed the black box warning.
00:00 Intro
04:05 The Origin Story: His Wife's Breast Cancer
08:56 Starting the Study in 1992
14:44 The Women's Health Initiative Nightmare in 2002
20:26 Why the Estrogen-Alone Arm Decreased Breast Cancer
27:14 What Actually Causes Breast Cancer? "I Don't Know"
42:04 Lifestyle Modifications That Matter
45:33 The FDA Box Warning Removal in November 2025
53:53 The Vagilante Verdict: Estrogen Matters
