Correlation between Chemotherapy and Menopausal Symptoms in Female Breast Cancer Patient Under Adjuvant Chemotherapy
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- Category: Vol. 77, September 2009
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Correlation between Chemotherapy and Menopausal Symptoms in Female Breast Cancer Patient Under Adjuvant Chemotherapy,DALAL M.K. ESHRA, NABIL A.L. MOBAREK, INASS K.A. KASSEM and SAMAH M.A. El-HOMOSY
Abstract
Breast cancer and its treatment undoubtedly cause many changes in the women life. One change that may occur from chemotherapy is the development of menopausal symptoms. Menopause is part of a woman’s natural aging process. The average age for menopause is 52 years. However, menopause commonly happens anytime between the ages of 42 and 56. Perimenopause is the term applying to the several years prior to and following the cessation of menses, which the menstrual cycle is likely to be irregular and during which women may experience climacteric symptoms such as hot flushes. Based on the study, it is found that there is little attention from nurses and doctors who care for women who undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer toward frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms and how to cope with these symp-toms. Therefore, this study aims to determine if menopausal symptoms in women who are undergoing systemic chemo-therapy for breast cancer differ from those in women who experience natural menopause.
Subjects and Methods Research Design: Descriptive analytic design comparative study. Setting: The study con-ducted at Menoufyia University hospital (clinical Oncology department & out patient clinic).
Subjects: Total sample of 120 women recruited in this study. The sample included two main groups the case group and the control group. Data collection tools: Three tools were used to collect data from each subject. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS statistical package version 13 on IBM compatible computer. Test of significance was used and level of significance is p<0.05.
Results: Based on the result of this study, the chemotherapy that used after surgery for breast cancer women has effect on menopausal symptoms among peri and postmenopausal women as the frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms increase among these women and it also increases the frequency and severity of menopausal symptoms in the women with estrogen positive type of the breast cancer.
Recommendation: The present study recommended that it is important to do awareness for nurses and doctors who care for patients undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer about potential symptoms related to menopause should be raised.