Study Finds Menopause Symptoms Can Be PredictedThe number of eggs left in a woman's ovaries are like the grains of sand in an hourglass, ticking away the hours on her biological clock.Researchers now say they may be able to predict when that clock will wind down. And while doctors can't actually count the number of eggs in an ovary, they can measure ovarian volume. British researchers say there's a direct correlation between the two, and by measuring ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, doctors should be able to predict when menopause will set in and how many fertile years a woman has left. According to the study authors, this information will revolutionize the care of women looking for assisted reproductive technologies, including those who were treated for childhood cancers as well as women who want to put off starting a family for whatever reason. Although information still needs to be validated in clinical studies, its benefit is most likely to start with women who are being treated for cancer and women attending fertility clinics, said Tom Kelsey, co-author of the study appearing June 17 in the journal Human Reproduction. "If women looking for some sort of assisted conception and their physicians know that they've got a long time till menopause, then you could plan for a range of treatments," said Kelsey, who is a senior research fellow at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "If you knew menopause was likely in four to five years, you'd plan a different set of IVF [in vitro fertilization] treatments." Others reiterate, however, that the findings should be treated with caution. "Should a young woman who is 30 years old go for a test to figure out whether she's got three, five or 10 years left on her fertility? Should she make career decisions and life decisions? Are these data good enough to make those determinations?" asked Dr. Alan Copperman, director of reproductive medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. "The answer is obviously no to all of those questions. The predictive value of this test is not good enough to go and tell someone to change their life." According to the article, eggs form in a female's ovary while she is still in the womb, peaking at several million about halfway through gestation and then starting a continuous decline. At birth, there are several hundred thousand and, when menstruation begins, about 300,000. At about age 37, a woman has about 25,000 eggs left, and at menopause only about 1,000. The time at which menopause sets in is widely believed to be based on the number of eggs reaching a critically low threshold. The authors of this study measured ovarian volume with transvaginal ultrasound, then looked at the relationship between ovarian volume -- ovaries shrink as a woman ages -- and number of eggs. They then applied mathematical and computer models to predict menopause. The study authors are negotiating with a medical school to set up clinical trials. The idea would be to follow women to see if their predictions were indeed correct. While these authors have come up with a tool to potentially help women plan their lives, a second study in the same issue of Human Reproduction warned that women might not want to leave it too late. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) could not be relied upon to fully compensate for lack of natural fertility after the age of 35, the article stated. The authors used a computer simulation model to determine that the overall success rate of assisted reproductive technology would be 30 percent for those attempting to get pregnant from age 30, 24 percent for those trying from age 35, and 17 percent from age 40. SOURCES: Tom Kelsey, Ph.D., senior research fellow, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland; Alan Copperman, M.D., director, reproductive medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York; June 17, 2004, Human Reproduction |
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The dreaded early menopause after chemo! - HealthBoards.com The dreaded early menopause after chemo! Menopause. Prevention of chemotherapy-induced menopause by temporary ovarian Background: Standard methods to prevent chemotherapy-induced early menopause in young, breast cancer patients are unavailable to date. Health and Fitness » Blog Archive » Chemo Menopause chemo menopause: The Benefits Of The Hybrid Car Author: Richard Henderson The Benefits Of The Hybrid Car 14th December 2006 Author: Richard Henderson Hybrid Breast Cancer: FYI Side Effects (nausea, anemia, immunosuppression Read about research on this topic. "Breast Cancer Chemo Linked with Memory Problems Benefits of therapies in treating menopause questioned (news story) Premature menopause side effect of breast cancer treatment Chemotherapy-induced menopause occurs in 10 to 50 percent of women younger than 40 and in 50 to 94 percent of women over 40. This is an added burden to the Breast cancer chemo side effects If you had not had your menopause before you had breast cancer, you need to know that chemotherapy can affect your ability to get pregnant. Menopause symptoms after chemotherapy I have had menopausal symptoms since I had chemotherapy. I was pre-menopausal before I had chemo. Side Effects -- Managing Your Life on Chemotherapy - 10/03/02 The question about whether chemotherapy-induced menopause is the same as natural Member: Are most women thrown into menopause directly after chemo? Chemotherapy Induced Menopause Because of rapidly declining estrogen levels, the hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness and atrophy caused by chemotherapy-induced menopause may be webmagic.comâ„¢ Forums: Post Chemo Menopause (women only topic) My last period was right before chemo #5 in late July. I have been told (by who I can't remember) that I will be considered early menopause if it hasn't Spotting after Chemo-Induced Menopause - Breast Cancer - MedHelp Spotting after Chemo-Induced Menopause. This forum is for questions and support regarding breast cancer issues such as: Breast Biopsy,Genetics, Chemotherapy Chemo-induced menopause: from hot flashes to life changes - The For premenopausal women who are diagnosed with cancer, chemo-induced menopause comes quickly, without warning. There are no years of perimenopause, Menopause and Breast Cancer Therapy Fifty percent of women younger than 35 who have CMF (cytoxan, methotrexate, fluorouracil) chemotherapy go into menopause, as do about 80% of women 35â“44, Chemo induced menopause Anyway, I did chemo 3 years ago at age 41. The last time I had a period was April of 2000. I thought I had chemo induced menopause. CHEMO INDUCED MENOPAUSE/NIGHT SWEATS - Breast Cancer - MedHelp This is a discussion on MedHelp about CHEMO INDUCED MENOPAUSE/NIGHT SWEATS. Community members of MedHelp provide help, support, guidance and discussion Chemo Induced Menopause: Symptoms and Solutions As many of us have experienced, early, chemo induced menopause has been hard to handle. The symptoms are dramatic and on going and difficult to deal with. Chemotherapy, Cancer and Menopause - Managing Side Effects of Chemotherapy and Menopause - Cancer and its treatment will undoubtedly cause many changes in your life. One change you may experience from chemotherapy is Chemocare.com During chemotherapy, women may have preliminary signs of menopause such as irregular menstrual cycles or her periods may disappear. Some medications used in Menopause and Chemotherapy Menopause may be immediate or delayed, permanent or temporary when triggered by chemotherapy. Unfortunately, there is no way to accurately determine how or |
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