Navigating Breast Cancer and Menopause:

What is the relationship between menopause and breast cancer?

Overall, the two biggest risk factors in breast cancer are increasing age and being a woman. These go hand in hand and as we get older, many breast cancers are driven by accumulating exposure to oestrogen. Although oestrogen levels decrease after menopause, oestrogen is still produced, at lower levels, from our ovaries, fat cells and other sites in our bodies, so there is still a risk of developing breast cancer with increasing age.

What are some symptoms of menopause?

Everyone’s symptoms will be different but common symptoms include vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and sweat), changes in flow of the periods during perimenopause, periods stopping at menopause and genitourinary symptoms (vaginal soreness, pain or itching). Other symptoms may also include brain fog, overwhelm, anxiety, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and sleep problems.

How can I ease both my symptoms of breast cancer and menopause?

Good simple life habits can have a real impact. Things like good sleep, a healthy diet, reducing alcohol, eliminating smoking and recreational drug intake, regular daily movement and exercise where possible, and self-care and compassion. All these things can reduce the impact of menopause symptoms, such as fatigue, sleep problems and flushes, as well as improve your well-being as you go through treatment.

Medication in isolation doesn’t fix sleep problems, so if you’re having difficulty with your sleep routine, I would highly recommend a few things. For example, reducing caffeine intake and not drinking caffeinated drinks later in the day (because the effects can last several hours and impact your sleep, drinking plenty of water, keeping your room cool before bed, and as best as possible, try to stick to a sleep schedule to avoid too much or too little sleep. Exercise and movement during the day can also help your sleep quality.

For practical everyday advice if you’re experiencing hot flushes, I would suggest minimising hot foods and drinks, planning your day to minimise stress, which can make you feel flustered and bring on a sweat. It’s also helpful to layer your clothes in a way that is easily removable so you can take action to avoid overheating if you feel a flush or sweat coming on.

Personally, exercise is my favourite thing to do. If you’re planning on including exercise in your routine, it’s important to remember to listen to your body and go at your own pace. Do what you enjoy – there are so many different ways to keep active! I started by walking which I very gradually increased, and I now do running and resistance training. You get stronger over time. Heavy resistance training is my HRT!