United States – Female patients who underwent early menopause became more vulnerable to breast cancer, according to recent research.
Researchers also discovered that women who were said to have reached menopause at an age less than 46 years were almost twice as likely to develop breast cancer as compared to other women of the same age range, as reported by HealthDay.
Focus on POI
The study targeted participants with POI, which refers to a state where ovarian function is impaired due to early loss of eggs. This results in others experiencing menopausal changes at a younger age than the usual age they would expect.
“When women go through primary ovarian insufficiency, they are at risk for a number of diseases like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease,” noted senior researcher Dr. Corrine Welt, the endocrinologist with the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City.
“Our results suggest some of these women should be monitored over their lifetimes for cancer risk as well,” she said in a news release.
Hereditary Factors and Genetic Links
In an interview, researchers said that POI tends to be hereditary, involving up to 43 percent of the risk. Earlier research has also indicated that there could be genetic factors associated with POI and cancer.
To rule out that possible link, researchers reviewed the electronic health data of two health systems that represent 85 percent of Utah’s population and then cross-referenced those POI cases with the UCAR.
We discovered that 613 women were diagnosed with POI and another 165 with EMP during 1995-2021. More than 26,500 of their close relatives were included in the cancer registry and other medical records.
Specifically, early menopause is associated with a nearly two-fold elevated risk of breast cancer in women, data indicates.
Researchers also discovered that their close relatives also had higher risks of getting cancer.
Increased Cancer Risk for Relatives
Individuals with second-degree relations, such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, and nephews, had a 30% increased risk of breast cancer and a 50% increased risk of colon cancer, as per the researchers.
First, second, and third-degree relatives also had a 30% to 60% increased risk of developing the disease.
Recommendations
To gain a better understanding of the underlying cause for this, the researchers sequenced the DNA of six women with POI.
They discovered that each of them had a modifying mutation in one of the genes that help cells to stay healthy. Such kind of defects may lead to health issues affecting ovaries and a risk of uncontrolled cell division, which is characteristic of cancer, according to Welt, as reported by HealthDay.
The researchers recommended that women with diagnosed POI or early menopause should undergo more frequent cancer screening. Infertility tests, along with cancer screening, might turn out to be useful for their relatives as well.