Did chemo put you into early menopause? Were you counseled on how to deal with menopause symptoms? Were you able to recognize menopausal symptoms from chemo side-effects?
Did chemo put you into early menopause? Were you counseled on how to deal with menopause symptoms? Were you able to recognize menopausal symptoms from chemo side-effects? Have you gotten help with menopause symptoms that carried over into survivorship or do you just accept them as a part of your breast cancer experience?
Three researchers in the United Kingdom set out to find answers to what was being done to help female breast cancer survivors cope with menopause symptoms. They were concerned with menopause symptoms as a result of estrogen deprivation due to cancer treatments, as well as natural menopause-related estrogen loss.
They conducted focus group sessions with women and gathered information from their stories, describing their breast cancer journey and speaking about support received for any menopause symptoms. The study was comprised of Asian and Caucasian women.
What they found was that most breast cancer patients were not sure if they had menopausal symptoms or whether this was due to their breast cancer condition or treatment. Most women had an attitude of acceptance of menopausal symptoms and reported trying to cope with these by themselves.
Researchers concluded that there is a need for more information that is culturally sensitive on managing menopause symptoms.
Women need help managing, not only, the side-effects during breast cancer treatments but managing those menopause symptoms that carry over to the survivorship phase and interfere with quality of life.
Source: Article in Menopause International, 2011
