Woman began menopause at age 32 due to breast cancer treatment | Health

By Elizabeth Hunter via SWNS

A woman has described how she went through menopause at the age of 32 due to breast cancer treatment.

Kat Denisi noticed a dent in her breast and after seeking medical advice in 2022, she was initially told to probably “not worry.”

However, after a follow-up appointment, she was quickly diagnosed with stage two cancer.

During the course of her treatment, she experienced a “crash” menopause.

Almost a third of patients experience early menopause caused by cancer treatment.

She was told that the cancer treatment could “shut down her ovaries.”

Kat, 35, from Edinburgh, wishes she had received more information about the disease and urges women affected to ditch the stigma and raise awareness.

“I was looking for swimsuits and when I lifted my chest up to put it in the swimsuit cups, there was a dent,” Kat said.

“I poked it and it felt like a hard lump, although there was no visible lump. “I called my GP within minutes of finding the lump and had tears in my eyes.”

“When I went to the doctor they felt the lump and said I was very young so not to worry, but they sent me to the breast clinic just in case.”

“A few weeks later I went to the breast clinic and they did a mammogram.

“They made me do an ultrasound and while I was lying on the table they called in another doctor. I thought, ‘This can’t be good.’

“They sent me for a biopsy the same day.

“They sent us back to the breast clinic where they sat us down and said I definitely had cancer.”

“My husband was crying – I was very stoic because I was just thinking about what I could do to make the situation better.”

“That day was very strange and didn’t feel particularly nice. We went home and my head was in the clouds – I was so confused and very scared.”

Kat was told her treatments, which included chemotherapy, radiotherapy and multiple surgeries, would require a medical “shutdown” of her ovaries to protect her as much as possible.

Kat, originally from the US, and her husband Neil had discussed having children but were now forced to make a decision: whether to undergo IVF and delay their chemotherapy or continue with the life-saving treatment.

“Before chemotherapy, they offered me the option of artificial insemination, but that would have delayed my chemotherapy,” she said.

“Suddenly we were under time pressure and had to make a choice.

“In the end my partner and I decided we didn’t want to delay treatment, my oncologist agreed and we refused IVF – it was a pretty aggressive cancer.”

“My doctor said we would give me Zolodex injections and it would shut down my ovaries.”

A year into her treatment, after finishing her chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions, Kat discovered she had hit “crash” menopause.

Amid the stress of her treatments, she said menopause was “the furthest thing away” for her and was shocked to discover she had already started menopause at 32.

“It didn’t sit right that I was going through menopause for quite a while,” she said.

“I had hot flashes – a burning sensation in my cheeks and then a hot flash all over my body. I got really bad night sweats.”

“Fatigue and brain fog were there too – chemotherapy causes brain fog, but even after that I struggled with it.

“Nobody really talked about it.

“I understand that; When you’re in active treatment, menopause just sounds like another scary word on top of everything else to worry about.”

“I had been thinking about how I was going to deal with the side effects of chemotherapy and everything else, and menopause was the furthest thing from my mind.”

“I completely understand that I had to go through menopause because of my cancer treatment, but I wish I had met someone or there was a booklet where I would talk about the side effects of it.”

Feeling alone and embarrassed to talk about her symptoms, Kat joined a local support group for young women undergoing cancer treatment – and discovered that many other women had similar experiences.

“There is a support group for young women at the Maggie’s Center at Western General in Edinburgh and I started going there in August 2022, in the middle of my chemotherapy,” Kat said.

“It really clicked in the group after I heard other women talking about their stories and they said the same thing.

“It’s just women in their 20s to early 40s trying to live normal lives, but we’re all stuck in this vicious cycle of treatments and fertility problems.”

“I’m still upset about it, but I feel less alone.

“I think it’s unfair that women have to go through this, but with my group, I know I’m not alone.”

Now Kat is determined to raise awareness of crash menopause and help break down the stigma associated with discussing women’s health.

“Talking about menopause in young women is such a personal thing – no one wants to talk about a dry vagina or pain during sex, but it’s something many young women experience during menopause,” she said.

“I understand how embarrassing it is, but I just want other women to know that it’s okay to talk about it.”

“The more people talk about it, the more the family and friends of the people going through it will understand a little bit more.”

“And if I talk about it, maybe someone else will feel like it’s okay to talk about it too.”