title: [Chemotherapy-Induced Amenorrhea and Menopause Symptoms in Women With Breast Cancer].
abstract: Chemotherapy is a common adjuvant therapy for breast cancer that improves survival rates by killing residual cancer cells. However, this intervention may damage the germ cells within the ovary and interrupt the menstrual cycle, ultimately leading to chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA). The incidence of CIA depends on how broadly this term is defined. Around 75% of premenopausal breast cancer women treated with chemotherapy will develop CIA. Age, having a relatively long chemotherapy cycle duration, being estrogen-receptor positive, and using Tamoxifen all increase the risk of CIA. Although CIA may be associated with better prognosis outcomes, breast cancer women must subsequently deal with the various menopausal symptoms that are associated with a CIA-induced drop in estrogen level (such as cognitive function decline, physical and psychological symptoms, vasomotor symptoms, reproductive and sexual function problems, and body weight change). The present article describes the female menstrual cycle, the mechanism and risk factors of CIA, and the range of menopausal symptoms. Furthermore, we summarized methods of assessing menopausal symptoms and compared five common rating scales of menopausal symptoms. By better understanding the potential menopausal symptoms, researchers and clinicians may then select the most appropriate scale based on the situational needs in order to evaluate the severity of menopausal symptoms that are experienced by breast cancer women.
authors.affiliation: MSN, RN, Doctoral Student, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chia-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: PhD, RN, Professor, School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Professor (Joint Appointment), Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, and Researcher (Joint Appointment), Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taiwan, ROC. mechenl@mail.cgu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Mei-Ling
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000139:chemically induced*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords:  breast cancer women ;  chemotherapy ;  chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA);  menopausal symptoms 