Early menopause is associated with an increased risk of breast and possibly ovarian cancer
Sist anmeldt: 14.06.2024
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Some women who experience early menopause—before age 40—have an increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
"The relatives of these women also have a higher risk of breast, prostate and colon cancer," said Dr. Corrine Welt, chief of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Welt and her colleagues began the study with the hypothesis that some women with primary ovarian failure and their relatives may be predisposed to cancers related to the reproductive system or hormones. Primary ovarian failure is a condition in which a woman's ovaries stop functioning normally before the age of 40.
Researchers identified 613 women with primary ovarian insufficiency and 165 women who had experienced early menopause from two health systems in Utah serving 85% of the population. They examined medical records from 1995 to 2021.
Using genealogical information from the Utah Population Database, the researchers found relatives and focused on cancer diagnoses in women and their families using the Utah Cancer Registry. Specifically, the researchers looked at diagnoses of breast, ovarian, endometrial, colon, testicular, and prostate cancer.
They found that women with early menopause had a twice the risk of breast cancer. This risk was increased nearly fourfold (borderline risk) for ovarian cancer.
The risk of breast cancer is increased by 1.3 times and the risk of colon cancer by 1.5 times in second-degree relatives (ie, aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces or nephews, etc.).
The risk of prostate cancer is increased by 1.3–1.6 times among first-, second-, and third-degree relatives (i.e., great-grandparents, cousins).
"Women whose infertility is due to low egg counts or who are experiencing early menopause should be screened regularly for breast cancer, especially if they have a family history of cancer," Welt said.
"General practitioners, gynecologists and fertility doctors should be aware that early menopause increases the risk of a number of diseases, and they should now know that breast cancer may be one of these diseases to look out for."