A woman from East Yorkshire has described how breast cancer treatment caused severe menopause symptoms to return almost immediately after she was required to stop hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Jo Menneer, 55, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 after previously using HRT to manage menopause symptoms.

As part of her cancer treatment, Menneer underwent surgery and stopped HRT, which she has not been able to resume. She said that her menopause symptoms returned 'with a vengeance,' leaving her dealing with hot flushes, aching limbs, brain fog and emotional changes while recovering from surgery, according to a BBC report.

Menopause Returned 'With a Vengeance'

Menneer said she did not expect her breast cancer treatment to affect her experience of menopause. She added that her doctors did not discuss the issue with her beforehand. The combination of surgical recovery and renewed menopause symptoms made the period particularly difficult.

She said that she felt as though her menopause had been set back by years. Menneer now volunteers with the Menopause and Cancer organisation and helps run a support group in York, where she advocates for patients to receive clearer information about the possible effects of treatment.

Her experience reflects a recognised consequence of some cancer treatments. Cancer Research UK says that chemotherapy, pelvic radiotherapy, surgery involving the ovaries and hormone therapies can cause an early or temporary menopause.

Additionally, treatment can also bring back menopause-like symptoms in people who have already gone through menopause, as per Cancer Research UK. These include hot flushes, night sweats, sleep difficulties, mood changes, poor concentration, joint pain and muscle aches.

Jo Menneer
Jo Menneer, 55, from East Yorkshire, says breast cancer treatment left her coping with surgery recovery and renewed menopause symptoms. Jo Menneer/Facebook
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'No Time To Adjust' After Diagnosis

Claire Hurst, another breast cancer patient from Yorkshire, was already experiencing menopause symptoms when she was diagnosed at 50. She described it as having 'no time to adjust.'

Medication used during her treatment rapidly caused a medically induced menopause, which she described as substantially different from what some women experience naturally. The now 53-year-old said that she received strong oncology care but found there was less structured support available for dealing specifically with menopause during and after cancer treatment.

Sudden treatment-related menopause can produce particularly difficult symptoms. Macmillan Cancer Support says menopausal symptoms may be more severe when menopause begins abruptly because of cancer treatment, and some can continue for years.

HRT may help some patients, but Macmillan says doctors do not usually recommend it for hormone-related cancers such as breast cancer because of concerns about recurrence. This means that other symptom-management options may need to be considered with a patient's medical team.

Patients Call for Better Long-Term Care

Menneer and Hurst have called for stronger links between cancer treatment and menopause support, including clearer guidance about what patients may experience before treatment starts.

Menneer said patients should have access to tailored information directing them towards relevant services. Hurst said support should continue after cancer treatment has already finished.

England's National Cancer Plan, published in February 2026 and updated in September 2026, includes measures intended to broaden support beyond cancer treatment itself. The government says patients will increasingly receive personalised assessments and cancer plans covering wider physical, mental and social needs.

It would also include updated guidance on continuing care planned by 2027. The policy is designed to make longer-term effects of cancer and treatment part of ongoing patient support rather than limiting care to the treatment period alone.

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