Coping With the Onset of Menopause
- “Abbott Elementary” star Lisa Ann Walter, 60, hopes to use a bit of humor to reduce the stigma surrounding menopause. She notes that she experienced a hot flash while on set.
- The National Institute on Aging describes menopause as “a point in time 12 months after a woman’s last period.” Additionally, “The years leading up to that point, when women may have changes in their monthly cycles, hot flashes, or other symptoms, are called the menopausal transition or perimenopause.”
- Certain cancer treatments can contribute to the early onset of menopause. Chemotherapy and radiation are examples of common cancer treatments that can cause menopause. When women have their ovaries removed or undergo hormonal treatment, early menopause may also emerge.
- The length duration of menopause can depend on lifestyle factors such as smoking, age it begins, and race and ethnicity,” the institute explains.
- “Menopause means different things to different people. The average experience begins with sleep disturbances, hot flashes, night sweats, and cessation of periods. The actual medical definition of menopause is more than twelve months of no periods,” Cedars-Sinai Medical Center OB/GYN and oncologist Dr. Bobbie J. Rimel explains to SurvivorNet.
“Abbott Elementary” actress Lisa Ann Walter is putting a comedic twist on a once-taboo subject for many women – menopause. The 60-year-old known widely as “Melissa” on the popular ABC sitcom says getting older shouldn’t be something women find shameful.
“Getting older as a female in this country has got to become something that is not the punchline or topic that’s shameful,” Walter told People Magazine.
“They kind of refer to it in these hushed tones – it’s like when people used to talk about periods like the curse. Anything that has to do with being a woman is somehow connected to something that’s shame-based,” Walter explained.
Walter noted she once experienced a hot flash while auditioning for a role, which sparked a bit of embarrassment.
“I was too embarrassed to say, ‘No, I’m not nervous. I’m just old and having a hot flash,” Walter recalled telling the writer on set.
“Women are sort of forced into maintaining youth or the illusion of youth. It’s completely unfair, and then you discount all of the wonderful things that go with being mature and experienced and the wisdom that goes along with all of that,” Walter added.
The actress hopes that talking more openly about women’s natural aging stage will reduce the stigma surrounding it.
Expert Resources On Menopause & Body Positivity
How Cancer Patients May Experience Early Menopause
While many women grow to expect the onset of menopause as they age, it can still be an emotional experience. However, menopause can occur even when you are younger than 45. When this happens, it’s called early or premature menopause. The U.S. Office on Women’s Health says early menopause occurs between 40 and 45.
As previously noted, certain cancer treatments can contribute to the early onset of menopause.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology examined the risk of menopause during the first year after a breast cancer diagnosis. The researchers noted that women with breast cancer “often enter a premature menopause during initial treatment…adjuvant therapy (cancer treatment given after initial treatment) is believed to contribute to this early menopause.”
Researchers concluded that “age and systemic chemotherapy are the strongest predictors of menopause” in women with breast cancer.
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute drew attention to premature menopause after treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma.
During the study that evaluated more than 2,000 women, researchers found that “women who received six or more cycles of a standard chemotherapy regimen without pelvic radiotherapy in their late 20s had an approximately 18% chance of undergoing menopause by the age of 30, or 58% by age 40.”
Surgery for ovarian cancer can cause early menopause because it involves the removal of the ovaries. Surgically induced menopause is a very different experience from menopause occurring naturally during a woman’s life.
“Surgical menopause is very sudden,” says Dr. Daynelle Dedmond, a gynecologic oncologist with Centura Health. I explain to patients that they’re going to experience changes immediately; within the first 24 to 48 hours [after surgery], they’ll start having symptoms, particularly hot flashes.”
Women who received ovarian radiotherapy and chemotherapy also saw their risk of early menopause increase. Sometimes, these treatments may also affect fertility.
WATCH: Ovarian cancer survivor Araceli Rubi said when she experienced menopause earlier than she could have ever expected, it was a complete shock.
Managing Menopause Symptoms
Although menopause is a natural occurrence, there are some things women can do to minimize the impact of menopausal symptoms.
We must first outline some well-known menopause symptoms, which include:
- Menstruation changes
- Hot Flashes
- Bladder control issues
- Difficulty sleeping
- Vaginal health and sexuality changes
- Mood changes
- Body changes
- Aches and pains
The Office on Women’s Health suggests options for dealing with these symptoms.
To help with hot flashes, women may consider hormonal medication or, cooling off with a cold beverage, or seeking air-conditioned air. To help with vaginal complications, moisturizers and lubricants can offer relief. When having difficulty sleeping, consider exercising, avoid eating or drinking immediately before bed, and practice good sleeping habits such as darkening the bedroom and keeping it cool and quiet. To help with mood changes, consider getting enough sleep, minimizing stress, and seeking a support group or a therapist.
“There are certain instances where physicians can prescribe medications that may improve the vaginal dryness, or some other things that may be able to be prescribed, but it very specifically depends on what type of ovarian cancer a patient had, what their outcome was, and their risk of recurrence in the future,” explains Dr. Dedmond.
“Most of the time, we suggest lubricants for dryness and to help with elasticity of the vagina for more comfort during intercourse. We also want patients to be very deliberate and careful and have good communication with their partner, including about allowing plenty of time to be able to relax,” Dr. Dedmond continued.
Understanding Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is prescribed to help women manage menopausal symptoms. However, it’s also known to increase your risk of certain cancers.
According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, women are diagnosed with menopause after they have gone one year, or 12 months, without a period. Menopause is diagnosed when a woman is in her 40s or 50s. However, the average age of menopause in the United States is 51.
WATCH: Understanding hormone therapy for breast cancer.
Some women experience intense symptoms during menopause:
- Hot flashes
- Problems with sleeping
- Bone thinning
- Pain during sex
As a result, doctors may prescribe hormone replacement therapy, which controls the levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body.
HRT Related Cancer Risks
A 2019 analysis of 26 studies that include more than 4 million women found a correlation between HRT and ovarian cancer incidence for women in the United States and Europe.
The correlation was highest in two subtypes (epithelial-stromal and endometrioid ovarian tumors). However, the association couldn’t be reproduced in women in other parts of the world.
A 2017 study found that women on HRT had a 32% increased chance of developing serous borderline ovarian tumors. It’s also been determined that most types of HRT increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
It’s important to note that HRT is sometimes part of ovarian cancer treatment after a woman has removed her ovaries.
“There is actually some data that suggests improved survival with HRT given to ovarian cancer patients after diagnosis,” Dr. Rimel previously told SurvivorNet.
In 2012, a randomized control trial showed significantly improved survival in women with epithelial ovarian cancer who received HRT (estrogen) and standard cancer treatment.
However, routine hormone replacement therapy is also debated, as it minimizes the risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular problems, and sexual dysfunction. Still, the evidence is considered “too limited” to support its routine use.
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