Episode 13: Coping with menopause and cancer

Taking Control of Cancer

In this episode of Taking Control of Cancer, Steve Bland is joined by Dani Binnington, the founder of the charity Menopause and Cancer, to talk about coping with, you guessed it...menopause and cancer.

Navigating menopause after a cancer diagnosis can leave you feeling unsupported, isolated and not knowing what your options are. Support is out there, and we explore this with help from Dani, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30s.

She went on to create Menopause and Cancer, which provides support for all those affected by menopause and cancer and more information about their work is on their website: https://menopauseandcancer.org/

Cancer treatment often triggers the menopause. In fact, 40% of women under 40 and 70%-90% of women over 40 enter permanent menopause as a result of their treatment. Many women say that navigating menopause after cancer feels harder than chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery altogether.

We discuss the facts about cancer and menopause, look at what to expect after a cancer diagnosis and when going through treatment. We talk through experiences of women going through menopause after cancer treatment, and look at the support that is available.

This episode provides some top tips on how to access support, how to connect with other women going through similar experiences, and the importance of getting access to the right information so you can make informed choices.