Menopause does not cause cancer, but the risk of developing cancer increases as a woman ages. Women who have been through menopause are more are more likely to develop cancer because they are older. In addition, cancer treatment can cause menopause and menopausal symptoms. Read below to learn what menopause is, how it can affect your cancer risk, and how cancer treatment can cause menopausal symptoms for women and men.

What is menopause?

Menopause is when

• A woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs
  
  
• Her menstrual periods become irregular then stop completely
  
  
• Her body decreases production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Menopause begins during a woman's mid-40s to mid-50s. It can also begin before a woman’s 40s if cancer treatment has stopped the ovaries from working (called premature menopause).

The symptoms of menopause are hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, sleeplessness, decreased sex drive, and mood swings. Learn about managing menopausal symptoms.

How does menopause affect my risk of cancer?

A woman who began menopause after age 55 has an increased risk of ovarian, breast, and uterine cancer. This risk is greater if a woman also began menstruating before age 12.

The longer a woman menstruates during her life means that she is exposed to more estrogen and has more ovulations. Her risk of uterine and breast cancers are increased because these cancers can be caused by exposure to estrogen. And, her risk of ovarian cancer increases with more ovulations.

Does cancer treatment cause menopause or menopausal symptoms?

Some cancer treatments may cause menopause or menopausal symptoms. Menopause caused by medical treatment is called medical (or surgical) menopause. The symptoms of medical menopause may be worse because the decrease in hormones happens quickly. Even if cancer treatment does not cause menopause immediately, it may cause menopause to start sooner. Read below to learn about cancer treatments that may cause menopause.

Breast cancer or breast cancer treatment. Almost half of women who have not been through menopause have menopausal symptoms during breast cancer treatment.

Radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy to the pelvis and chemotherapy that damages the ovaries can cause early menopause. Menstrual periods may return for some younger woman after treatment. Women older than 40 are less likely to have their menstrual periods return.

Surgical removal of the ovaries (called an oophorectomy). This type of surgery is used to treat or prevent ovarian, uterine, and vaginal cancers. It causes menopause immediately because the source of estrogen and progesterone is removed.

Hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is used to manage breast cancer that is estrogen-and/or progesterone receptor positive, meaning that cancer uses estrogen and/or progesterone to grow. The hormone therapy drugs tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and raloxifene (Evista) are used to reduce the risk of breast cancer for women who have been treated for breast cancer or who have a higher risk of breast cancer. The side effects of these drugs are similar to the symptoms of menopause.

Women taking hormone therapy who have not been through menopause may have lighter and less regular menstrual periods. And, their menstrual periods may stop completely. A woman’s menstrual periods may come back after hormone therapy ends, but this is less likely for women who are closer to their natural menopausal age. Menopausal symptoms may come back for women taking hormone therapy who have already reached menopause.

Can the treatment of menopausal symptoms increase my risk of cancer?

Recently, a large research study called the Women’s Health Initiative found that women taking combined hormone therapy to manage menopausal symptoms may have increased risk of breast cancer. Combined hormone therapy is a combination of estrogen and progestin (a form of progesterone made in a laboratory). It is used to help women cope with menopausal symptoms and prevent osteoporosis and heart disease. Hormone therapy with estrogen alone is only given to women who have had their uterus removed (called a hysterectomy) because it increases the risk of uterine cancer.

The Women’s Health Initiative also found that women taking combined hormone therapy had an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and blood clots. However, they had a decreased risk of colorectal cancer and bone fractures. Because of the increased risks, many doctors recommend that women do not take combined hormone therapy or only take low doses for a short time. Combined hormone therapy is not usually recommended for women with a history of breast cancer or who have an increased risk of breast cancer.

Recent research also showed that women who received combined hormone therapy have a higher risk of dying from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) if they develop the disease. However, woman in the study taking combined hormone therapy were not more likely to develop NSCLC than women who were not taking combined hormone therapy. The study also showed that the risk of dying from lung cancer was higher for women with NSCLC who smoke and take combined hormone therapy.

Research on combined HRT is controversial and ongoing. The risks and benefits of HRT are different for each woman. Be sure to talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of HRT before deciding to take HRT. Find out about other kinds of treatment for menopausal symptoms.

Do men develop menopausal symptoms?

Only woman have true menopause but some men treated for prostate cancer may have some of the same symptoms. Prostate cancer growth is caused by male sex hormones called androgens. The most common androgen is the hormone testosterone. Hormone therapy for men can slow cancer growth by lowering a man’s testosterone levels. This type of treatment is also called androgen ablation or androgen deprivation therapy. It is done by removing the testicles with surgery or by using drugs that stop the testicles from making testosterone.

Less testosterone in a man’s body can cause symptoms that are similar to the symptoms of menopause. These symptoms include:

• Hot flashes
  
  
• Irritability
  
  
• Decreased sex drive
  
  
• Fatigue
  
  
• Osteoporosis
  
  
• Inability to have or keep an erection (called erectile dysfunction)

Learn more about coping with menopausal symptoms for men.

Where can I find more information?

Cancer.Net Guide to Breast Cancer

Cancer.Net Guide to Ovarian Cancer

Cancer.Net Guide to Uterine Cancer

Cancer.Net Guide to Prostate Cancer

What to Know: ASCO’s Guideline on Hormone Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Additional Resources

Menopause

Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy Use and Cancer: Questions and Answers

Menopausal Hormone Therapy Information