Imagine surviving cancer, only to be blindsided by a battle just as fierce: crash menopause. This is the reality for Kat Denisi, a 35-year-old from Edinburgh who, after beating breast cancer, found herself grappling with the sudden and severe onset of menopause. Her story sheds light on a lesser-known consequence of cancer treatment, one that often leaves women feeling abandoned and misunderstood.
But here's where it gets controversial... While medical teams are lauded for their life-saving efforts during cancer treatment, the support seems to vanish once the immediate threat is gone. Kat’s experience highlights a glaring gap in care: the lack of preparation and support for women thrust into medically induced menopause. “They take really good care of you during chemo, but then once all that finishes, that’s when they push you off the cliff,” she explains. “No one talked about menopause to me at all, and you don’t know what’s happening to your body.”
Menopause, a natural phase marked by the cessation of menstrual periods due to declining hormone levels, typically occurs between 45 and 55. But for women like Kat, it’s an abrupt, overnight reality. The symptoms—hot flushes, mood swings, joint pain, and even vaginal dryness—can be debilitating. “It’s so terrible, the hot flushes you can feel bubbling up through your body, and then it spreading all over your face,” Kat describes. “Your cheeks become bright red apples that are burning, and then I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
And this is the part most people miss... While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a common solution for managing menopause, it’s often off the table for cancer survivors. Estrogen, a key component in many HRT products, can stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells, leaving women like Kat with limited options. “The crippling thing with menopause is doctors don’t have many solutions for it,” she laments.
Kat’s journey is further complicated by the uncertainty of her future. Medically induced menopause can be temporary or permanent, depending on factors like age and treatment. “It would be really upsetting if it was permanent, but I’m hopeful because my body is strong and good at healing itself,” she says. Yet, even if her periods return, she faces the prospect of a second natural menopause later in life. “It’s really unfair to miss out on some of the best years of your life through crash menopause and then to have to go through it all again,” she reflects.
Dame Laura Lee, CEO of cancer charity Maggie’s, calls crash menopause “brutal” and emphasizes the need for greater awareness. “We need to do the same for ‘crash menopause’—we want to let people know we are here with them during cancer treatment and all it brings,” she urges. By keeping the conversation going, more women and their families can recognize the signs and seek the support they need, whether psychological, fertility-related, or long-term health-focused.
Kat’s story is a call to action. “It’s crazy how many people don’t know that a lot of young women who have had cancer are put into this induced menopause,” she notes. “I just want to shout from the rooftops what it is because if your family doesn’t know, then they can’t help you.” Her husband and in-laws now understand her struggles, enabling them to support her better. But what about the countless others suffering in silence?
Here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Should cancer treatment plans include mandatory counseling and support for medically induced menopause? Or is it unfair to burden an already overwhelmed healthcare system? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s keep this vital conversation going.
