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.
