2024-09-15 00:33:42
Women who enter menopause particularly early may have an increased risk of malignant tumors, British researchers have found.
Menopause marks the time of a woman’s last menstrual period and thus the end of fertility. On average, this happens at the age of 52 – but there are large deviations.
In women who go through menopause early, the early onset of hormone deficiency can have a negative impact on their health. Several scientific studies suggest that they have an increased risk of developing osteoporosis or cardiovascular problems. Apparently, cancer is also one of these, as a new study from Great Britain shows.
Researchers from the University of Cambridge and colleagues from the University of Exeter analyzed data from more than 100,000 postmenopausal women. The results of their work were published in the renowned journal “Nature”.
They discovered nine genes that had a strong influence on the fertility phase and led to the earlier loss of eggs – five of these genes were previously unknown. Women with such gene variations experienced menopause earlier than average. The gene ZNF518A was particularly striking: mutations here led to those affected entering menopause around 5.6 years earlier.
In addition, some gene variants led to an accumulation of mutations in other tissues and thus increased the risk of certain types of cancer. Specifically, the women affected had up to six times higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
The gene variants examined are rare in the population. However, their influence on the menopause is very large, emphasize the authors of the study. They advise women – especially those with premature menopause – to go for regular cancer screenings.