The experience of menopause after breast cancer

• Main Author: Taylor, Julie Smith
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.1999
• Subjects: Breast cancer; Menopause; Nursing; Womens studies
• ISBN: 0599395257; 9780599395251

There are more than 2 million breast cancer survivors alive in the United States. Many of these women will either have reached the age of natural menopause or will become menopausal as a result of adjuvant chemotherapy used to treat breast cancer in women of all ages. While many of these women do not experience difficulties with menopausal symptoms, some experience somatic discomforts sufficient to diminish their quality of life. Further, women who have been treated for breast cancer are not offered prevailing medical treatments, i.e. estrogen replacement, for the treatment of menopausal discomforts or to aid in the prevention of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of menopause for women who do not have the option of taking estrogen during mid-life because of a co-existing history of breast cancer. Grounded theory techniques were used to guide sample selection, data collection, and data analysis. A combination of purposeful and snowball sampling was used to include women who represented variation in the dimensions of menopause type (natural, surgical, iatrogenic), cancer treatment modalities, and length of time since breast cancer treatment completion. Narrative interviews with 11 women (ages 47–57), who had completed primary treatment for Stage 1 or Stage 2 breast cancer and had experienced amenorrhea for at least 6 months prior to the initiation of the study, were the main source of information. Three different orientations to the experience of menopause after breast cancer were identified from the interview data based on a preoccupation with either menopausal symptoms, cancer treatment related symptoms, or no symptoms: menopause salient, breast cancer salient, neither salient. Nine of the eleven women experienced difficulty managing mid-life as a result of bothersome menopausal or treatment related symptoms. Overall, the women in this study felt very uniformed about the long-term health issues of. cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Areas amenable to nursing intervention include education regarding alternatives to estrogen, normal physical changes associated with and threats to well-being during mid-life, and anticipatory guidance for long-term health related to both menopause and breast cancer.