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Gynecologic Cancer and Menopause
During a woman's reproductive years, her ovaries produce hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. They help prepare the body for pregnancy and also play other roles in health and wellness. During natural menopause, these hormones decrease gradually, leading to menopausal symptoms.
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​Symptoms Associated with Menopause:
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Hot flashes
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Loss of bladder control
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Insomnia and/or night sweats
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Vaginal health and sexuality
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Mood changes
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Heart palpitations
Surgery that removes the ovaries will lead to menopause. Certain chemotherapy treatments can also cause early menopause. The menopause experience is different for everyone, but typically, the younger the person is when going through menopause, the more intense their symptoms and side effects are likely to be.
Many of the menopause symptoms can be improved with hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Hormone replacement is safe for most people who have never had cancer. But it is not safe for everyone. For people who cannot safely take hormones, there are non-hormonal options for managing menopausal symptoms and side-effects.
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Medically induced menopause that results from cancer treatment (surgery and/or chemotherapy) may develop more quickly and its side effects may be more severe than naturally occurring menopause.
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(Hormone replacement therapy - HRT - is an ever-evolving field. Please be sure to discuss HRT with your doctor and do not rely on what your friends or the Internet have to say about the topic!)
Check out this great information below about surgical or forced menopause and the pros and cons of hormone replacement.
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from Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE)
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"Research suggests that 30 to 40 percent of all women with a gynecologic cancer experience menopause earlier than they would have without the disease. “Many times, treatment for gynecologic cancer will make a woman go through menopause before she normally would,” says Dr. John Farley, Gynecologic Oncologist at our hospital near Phoenix and Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA). “That means she isn’t able to have children and has to deal with the problems associated with menopause, too, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, osteoporosis, mood swings, depression, sexual dysfunction and pain during sex.”
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Other Helpful Websites
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