Discussing bodily changes with young women
Menopause and
breast-cancer risk
Menopause occurs
when a woman’s
reproductive cycle
is over and she can no longer
produce offspring. For
many women, menopause
occurs around age 50.
While menopause itself is
not a risk for breast or other
cancers, it’s important to
know that some symptom
treatments and other factors
can increase the risk
for cancer among menopausal
women.
The North American
Menopause Society says
that a woman going through
perimenopause and menopause
may experience various
symptoms, which can
range from hair loss to food
cravings to hot flashes to
vaginal dryness. The National
Institutes of Health
indicates some women undergo
combined hormone
therapy, also called hormone
replacement therapy
to help relieve menopausal
symptoms such as hot flashes
and osteoporosis. This
therapy replaces estrogen
and progestin, which diminish
in a woman’s body after
menopause sets in. However,
NIH’s Women’s Health
Initiative Study has found
that women undergoing
this therapy have a higher
risk of breast cancer, among
other conditions.
WebMD says evidence
suggests that the longer a
woman is exposed to female
hormones, whether it’s
those made by the body, taken
as a drug, or delivered by
a patch, the more likely she
is to develop breast cancer.
That means that hormone
replacement therapy can
increase breast cancer risk
and also indicates that the
longer a woman remains
fertile the greater her risk
for certain cancers. Women
who began menstruating
before age 12 or entered
menopause after age 55 will
have had many ovulations.
This increases the risk of
uterine, breast, and ovarian
cancers, states the American
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Society of Clinical Oncology.
It also may impact a
woman’s chances of developing
endometrial cancer.
Gaining weight after
menopause can also increase
a woman’s risk of breast cancer,
states the MD Anderson
Cancer Center. Therefore,
maintaining a healthy
weight or even losing a little
weight can be beneficial.
Women who enter menopause
are not necessarily
at a higher risk for breast
cancer, but some factors
tied to menopause can play
a role. Women who want to
lower their risk for various
cancers are urged to eat
healthy diets, quit smoking
and maintain healthy body
weights.
Menopause itself is not a risk for breast or other cancers, but it’s important
to know that some symptom treatments and other factors can
increase the risk for cancer among menopausal women
Parents to preteen and
teenage daughters may
have many things on
their minds as their children
grow older. Young women entering
puberty are entering
periods marked by unique
physical changes, and families
may find themselves facing
the topic of menstruation
and family life before they
know it.
The Canadian Women’s
Health Network notes that
research indicates a gradual
decline in the average age
of puberty onset in North
American women, with menstruation
occurring earlier
and earlier. This may be attributed
to decreased rates of
disease and increased nutrition.
Sandra Steingraber, a
medical researcher who has
done groundbreaking work
on the links between environmental
health contaminants
and cancer, says puberty also
may be tied to environmental
changes, namely exposure to
endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Puberty-related physical
changes may now occur in
girls as young as 8 or 9. Ob-
Gyn.net says that the average
age for menarche, or first
menstruation, in the United
States is age 12.16 for black
girls and 12.88 for caucasian.
Among Canadian respondents
aged 14 to 17 in the National
Longitudinal Survey
of Children and Youth, the
mean age at menarche was
12.72 years.
Parents and young women
between the ages of 10 and 15
should realize that menarche
and menstruation in general
is a critical mark in the
reproductive life of women
and should prepare for its arrival.
Menstruation is part of
a cycle of reproduction that
occurs when the uterine lining
of blood and tissue leaves
the body because it is not
needed to cushion a fertilized
egg. A menstrual period generally
can last between two
and seven days, and during,
an average amount of two
tablespoons of blood is shed.
An entire menstrual cycle
for girls and teens ranges
from 21 to 45 days, offers Kids
Health.
Each girl is different, but
menstruation generally occurs
within two to four years
of other signs of puberty, such
as breast budding and growth
of underarm and pubic hair.
The American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists
recommends that teenagers
schedule a first gynecologic
visit between the ages
of 13 and 15, particularly if
menstruation has started. A
gynecologist can be a good
sounding board for questions
regarding what is normal,
what to expect in years
to come, and general health
concerning the female reproductive
system and body
— including breast health. A
gynecologist will also spell
out the ideal times for certain
testing, which can include
pelvic exams, external genital
exams, and Pap tests.
Menstruation can be an
exciting, yet confusing time
in a young woman’s life.
Since many young women
now experience menstruation
earlier than their moth-
A young woman may begin to menstruate anytime between ages 10 and 15 on average. Parents can educate
their daughters of the changes to come.
/Gyn.net