The Link Between Breast Cancer and Menopause
The incidence of breast cancer is higher among women over the age of 50 who have undergone menopause. Approximately eight out of ten cases are detected in this category. However, menopause itself is not the cause of breast cancer, and several other factors also contribute to the risk of menopausal women being diagnosed with the disease. Below, we have listed how breast cancer and menopause are linked to each other. 1. Late-onset menopause increases breast cancer risk During the mensuration cycles, estrogen levels tend to rise in a woman’s body. With menopause, however, the hormone levels stabilize. So, when menopause is delayed, there is prolonged exposure to estrogen, which can lead to breast cancer. Hence, women who experience late-onset menopause have an increased risk. Besides breast cancer, women with long reproductive lives – the first menstrual period before age 14 and menopause after age 55 – also have an increased risk of other hormone-related cancers, such as uterine cancer. Therefore, those experiencing late-onset menopause should go for regular mammograms to detect cancer on time and seek medical help. 2. Drugs to cure menopausal depression can interfere with cancer treatment During menopause, there is a rapid fluctuation in estrogen and testosterone levels, leading to mood swings and depression.