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Early Menopause: "Harder Than Chemo" for Cancer Patient
6 Mar
Summary
- Mother endured medically-induced menopause harder than chemotherapy.
- Cancer treatment caused severe symptoms like night sweats and pain.
- She cannot use HRT due to hormone-fed triple positive breast cancer.
A 41-year-old physiotherapist from London has shared her challenging experience with medically-induced early menopause, finding it more difficult than her chemotherapy treatments for triple positive breast cancer. Anj Periyasamy, diagnosed at 37, explained that her cancer is "fed by hormones," necessitating the suppression of her ovaries.
This medical necessity means she cannot use Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to manage a range of debilitating symptoms. These include severe night sweats, hot flushes, mood swings, hair thinning, and significant muscle and tendon pain. Anj described the menopause as "harder" than chemotherapy, noting its persistent psychological and physical toll.
Her treatment journey, starting in March 2022, involved extensive chemotherapy, a double mastectomy with reconstruction, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies. The menopause treatments, including Zoladex and Letrozole, induced early menopause, which she later switched from Tamoxifen due to side effects. She highlighted the lack of public discussion around these complex side effects.
Anj also spoke about navigating conversations with her young daughters about her illness, using a children's book from the charity Breast Cancer Now. She is now participating in Trekstock Cancer Support's "Are You Better Yet?" exhibition to raise awareness, particularly for South Asian women in cancer survivorship. The exhibition runs until March 29 at the FUJIFILM House of Photography in London.
