Gabriella Yongue, Zachary Nash, Kristyn Manley, Melanie C Davies, Shibani Nicum
Cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or long-term therapies can cause menopause, which is often sudden, resulting in severe symptoms that may overlap with treatment related side effects. Menopause can therefore be complex to manage and there may also be added concerns around promoting cancer recurrence. Menopause symptoms can include hot flushes, poor sleep, mood disturbance, vaginal dryness, reduced sexual wellbeing, fatigue, and problems with memory - these can all impact on daily life. There may also be longer term health impacts, including bone loss and cardiovascular disease. This review brings together current evidence to discuss why treatment-related menopause occurs and how it can be best managed. It highlights that, despite growing awareness, many cancer survivors do not receive adequate information, support, or treatment for these symptoms. As cancer survival improves, menopause care must become a central part of improved survivorship. Personalised approaches to menopause management have the potential to improve long-term health, wellbeing, and quality of life after cancer.