Iatrogenic Menopause After Treatment for Cervical Cancer.
The ever-improving prognosis of women diagnosed with cervical cancer has meant that survivorship and treatment-related sequelae are being brought more into the spotlight in an attempt to try to reduce morbidity and improve women's long-term health. However, there are many issues surrounding an iatrogenic menopause in cervical cancer, a variety of potential management options and barriers to treatment. Women who have become menopausal under the age of 45 years as a result of cervical cancer are significantly less likely to start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or continue it long term as compared with those who have undergone a surgical menopause for a benign reason. High profile media reports raising concerns about the safety of HRT use have left many women reluctant to consider HRT as a therapeutic option for menopausal symptoms and many are seeking to use complementary/alternative medicine, including non-pharmacological interventions, to alleviate symptoms. The benefits of HRT in this population have been shown to reduce these effects, although adherence to treatment regimens is a challenge due to poor compliance, which is in part due to the fear of a second malignancy. The development of non-HRT-based interventions to ameliorate menopausal symptoms and reduce the long-term health consequences are needed for women who choose not to take HRT.
University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK. Electronic address: em321@le.ac.uk.
E L
EL
Moss
University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
S
S
Taneja
Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
F
F
Munir
University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
C
C
Kent
Birmingham Women's Hospital, Birmingham, UK.
L
L
Robinson
University Hospitals of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
N
N
Potdar
London North West Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
P
P
Sarhanis
Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
H
H
McDermott
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*
Cervical cancer; hormone replacement therapy; iatrogenic menopause; premature ovarian failure; radiotherapy