What's the Deal with Breast Cancer and Menopause?

'Tis Breast Cancer Awareness month, so remember the ladies...

Photo by Monika Kozub on Unsplash

Hey, Pausers! It’s also Menopause Awareness Month (although when you’re going through it, you are always aware…) so of course, I’m combining your two favorite (?) topics.

And speaking of menopause, I’d like to extend a hot warm welcome to ALL my new subscribers. I recently wrote an article on PERIMENOPAUSE for Yahoo!Life, and as a result, attracted many new readers to my newsletter. I appreciate all of you, thank you!! (It helps this writer to feel like she is not writing into a big black hole :)

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We all worry about breast cancer. After all, it’s in our DNA to worry ­— and to get breast cancer. (That’s because being a woman is the main risk factor for it to occur.)

Our breast cancer risk increases with age:: About 95 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over age 40, with about half of age 61 and older.

But there’s another factor in the mix here — isn’t there always? — and it has to do with the age you enter menopause.

Experts say if you start menopause north of age 55, your risk of breast cancer is increased — probably because you’ve had a longer exposure to estrogen. During your menstrual cycle, estrogen can stimulate breast tissue, which can be even more of an issue during menopause. A higher lifetime exposure to estrogen may increase breast cancer risk since about 80 percent of breast cancers grow in response to the hormone estrogen.

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Psst… I wrote about the hormone connection in a past Pause. You can find it here.

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What else ups our risk for breast cancer?

• Family history (Thanks, mom….but actually, this only accounts for 5-10 percent of breast cancers.

• Never having had children.

• Having a first child after age 30.

• Being overweight or obese after menopause.

• Genetic mutations (like BRCA1 or BRCA2).

• Starting menstruation before age 12.

• Having a first child after age 30.

• A history of ovarian, uterine or colon cancer.

• Hormone replacement therapy (risks vary according to how long you take it and the type you take).

• Sometimes seemingly none. (That was me, diagnosed at 34. I did not have any of the above risk factors. Still a mystery…)

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You Must Remember This…

With so many risk factors at play, here’s your best move: Get thee to your mammogram! It’s the best way to find breast cancer in its early stages when it’s usually most treatable.

Proof: Regular mammograms reduce breast cancer deaths by up to 48 percent for women between the ages of 40 and 79, according to some estimates.

How often should you get screened?

Recommendations vary…

The American Cancer Society says: Women between 40 and 44 should have a choice to begin annual screening mammograms. If you’re between ages 45 and 54, have one annually. Women 55 and older are advised to continue getting them every one to two years.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says: Women between 40 and 74 should get a mammogram every two years. No screening is recommended after age 74. Screening prior to age 40 should be a personal decision.

ThePause says: Examine your individual risk factors. Have a conversation with your healthcare provider about when you should begin screening. In some cases, your doctor might recommend starting earlier than age 40. (Mine did, many years ago. At just 34, my first-ever mammo discovered breast cancer.)

And puleeeeaaase, plz or however you wanna say it: If you feel a lump, say something. Go get it checked out. Don’t ignore it.

Early detection does save lives. It does!!!!!

For a Pause:

1. We can still be hot but it’s no fun to be steaming under the covers. Keep cool and carry on with your slumber with this comforter from Slumber Cloud. I like the look of it but haven’t tried it myself.

2. What do Angelina Jolie, Joan Lunden, Sheryl Crow and Sheryl Kraft have in common? We’ve all had breast cancer and are still going strong.

3. There are a lot of important breast cancer charities to consider supporting this month and year-round, but one you might not know is SHARE. It offers support to women facing breast, ovarian or uterine cancer. If you need support, call their national helpline at 844-ASK-SHARE.

4. As a member of the press, I was lucky enough to attend the grand opening of the mattress store, Saatva, in Westport, Connecticut, not far from where I live. The mattresses and showroom were truly impressive, something for every taste imaginable. (I’m pining for the mattress with the built-in massage feature. Wow.) If the event were held at the end of the day rather than in the morning, there would’ve been a good chance that when I laid down to sample the various mattresses, I would have fallen blissfully asleep. And probably embarrassed myself by snoring. (But that’s a story for another time.)

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One More Thing…

Survivors/Thrivers rock!

I met the notorious Joan Lunden at a press event right before COVID began to shut down our lives, a little at a time. At that point, we laughed about bumping elbows and not shaking hands. Little did we know…

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