Welcome to the first episode of the Menopause and Cancer Podcast. This week I am joined by Dr Annice Mukherjee who is one of the U.K's top endocrinologists with almost 3 decades of experience in hospital medicine. From the early days, her specialism in hormones has always focussed on optimising quality of life in hormone diseases, imbalances and deficiencies. 

Annice is a breast cancer survivor herself and has been navigating life with an early onset menopause.

In today's episode, she shares with us her personal story with a hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and how she navigated active treatment and early menopause.

We focus our talk on non-hormonal, medical treatment options for different symptoms of the menopause after a cancer diagnosis:

• (18:27) The role and use of antidepressants for women in menopause after cancer
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• (32:05) The use of vaginal oestrogen and moisturisers
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• (38:51) Medical treatments for bladder symptoms, benefits and side effects
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• (20:43) Hot sweats, night sweats and migraines which medication is available
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• (41:35) How to tailor the treatment options to each individual’s needs

We also touch on:

• (46:01) Her take on natural treatments, the lack of research and benefits
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• (48:14) A brief overview of complementary therapies, relaxation techniques
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• (50:46) Lifestyle measures, diet, exercise, stress
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• (55:23) A study on how 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week can reduce our risks of a recurring by over 50%! This is so exciting and Annice shows her tips on how to achieve that. The studies here for you: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32239145/

Annice gives so much hope and insight into the long-term treatment of menopause after cancer.

She also shares with us that a new non-hormonal treatment is going to be licensed as early as 2023. This will target the actual hot flush mechanism in our brain and looks to be so promising. It is also thought it will help with mood, sleep and even weight loss. Although the license will be for women in natural menopause at first, there is hope and things are changing.

Here is a link to this on the British Menopause Society website: https://thebms.org.uk/2020/07/new-non-hormonal-treatment-for-hot-flushes/

Connect with Annice:

Instagram: @the.hormomne.doc

Annice is the author of “The Complete Guide to the Menopause”. 

About Dani:

The Menopause and Cancer Podcast is hosted by Dani Binnington, menopause guide, patients advocate for people in menopause after a cancer diagnosis, and founder of online platform Healthy Whole Me.

There is lots of information out there about the menopause but hardly any if you have had a cancer diagnosis as well. Many people say to me they have no idea what their options are, who to ask for help, and that they feel really isolated in their experiences.

I started this podcast because there was nothing out there when I was thrown into surgical menopause at the age of 39, which followed on from my cancer diagnosis aged 33.

Through the episodes, I want to create more awareness, share information from our fabulous guest experts, doctors and other specialists in the cancer and menopause field.

And of course, I will share stories from the people in our community.

So that together we can work towards a better menopause experience. For all of us.

More educated, better informed and less alone.

Connect with Dani:

Instagram @healthywholeme 

Facebook: @healthywholeme 

Join Dani’s private Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/menopauseandcancerchathub

For oodles of inspiration, healthy recipes, yoga classes and all round positivity go to her website: https://www.healthywholeme.com/