Menopause is a big issue in breast cancer because many women going through treatment have to deal with treatment-induced menopause. Studies show 25% of women who develop breast cancer are not postmenopausal. This means that cancer treatment may cause them to experience menopause sooner than they otherwise would have done. Whilst natural menopause can be bad enough, when it is induced by treatment, the onset can be early, sudden and the symptoms more severe.
Breast Cancer Care WA recently presented a webinar series addressing some of the major issues around breast cancer, sexuality, menopause and women’s health with four experts in the field. These very educational videos are now available to view online. If you are suffering from menopausal symptoms we highly recommend you watch the videos. As Dr Thompson, one of our expert presenters, said, “There are things we can do. You don’t have to just put in a pad and put up with it.”
Clinical Sexologist Helena Green discussed how menopause and cancer related treatment can affect sexuality and how to reduce the impact of this on relationships.
Dr Lesley Ramage, Women’s Health GP, will discussed the medical options for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and what support is available for women.
Associate Professor Lesley Stafford, Clinical Psychologist specialising in breast and gynaecological cancer discussed the psychological support and self-care options for dealing with menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes.
Dr Judith Thompson, world-leading expert in continence and women’s health physiotherapy discussed how physiotherapists who specialise in women’s health can assist with women’s sexual and menopausal health.
- We would like to take this time to thank all our expert presenters for taking the time to share their extensive knowledge with us.