Cancer treatment can bring on menopause suddenly — sometimes within 48 hours, and often without warning. In this episode, originally recorded as a Henpicked Lunch and Learn a couple of years ago, Deborah Garlick is joined by Dani Binnington, founder, and Rachel Bowman, director, of Menopause and Cancer, the UK charity supporting people whose menopause has been triggered or accelerated by cancer treatment.
Together, we explore:
(00:02:00) Dani's story — breast cancer at 33, and how treatment triggered two separate menopause transitions
(00:04:51) The scale of the issue — around 186,000 people diagnosed with cancer each year, and the treatments that can trigger menopause
(00:06:41) Why cancer-induced menopause can feel like a "hormonal cliff edge" compared with a natural transition
(00:09:37) Rachel's experience — no warning, 20 to 30 hot flushes a day, and two very different oncologist responses
(00:12:09) Why so many cancer survivors are told they can't have HRT, and what that leaves them managing alone
(00:14:17) Launching the Menopause and Cancer podcast and opening up the conversation on treatment options
(00:16:44) Bringing the conversation earlier, so people don't fall into the "menopause void" years later
(00:20:27) The workplace impact — confidence, uncertainty, and menopause as "insult to injury" on top of a cancer diagnosis
(00:25:14) Three questions to ask after a cancer diagnosis: will this cause menopause, what are my options, and what does menopause mean for me
(00:29:29) Closing the gap — training doctors, funding a menopause specialist clinic, and how to get involved
Dani and Rachel share their own experiences of chemotherapy-induced and surgical menopause, and explain why the estimated 186,000 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK each year can face menopause symptoms with little warning and even less support. They talk through the gap between oncology and GP care, why treatment options like HRT are so often left unexplained, and what employers and line managers can do to better support colleagues navigating a cancer diagnosis and menopause at the same time.
Whether you're supporting a colleague, a family member, or going through this yourself, this conversation is a reminder that no one should have to face a cancer-induced menopause alone.
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