Women who experience menopause at an age earlier than average may be up to six times more likely to develop some forms of cancer including breast and ovarian, a study suggests.
British researchers discovered the hormonal change can be triggered up to five years early if a woman has a specific collection of genes.
This same genetic collection was also shown to increase a woman’s risk of cancer.
This includes the BRCA1 gene mutation made famous by actress Angelina Jolie who underwent a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive for it in 2013.
Experts from the universities of Exeter and Cambridge came to their discovery after analysing genetic data from over 100,000 British women.
Actress Naomi Watts , 55 and of Mulholland Drive and Peter Jackson’s King Kong fame, is one the most famous faces to speak about undergoing an early menopause, experiencing the change at just 36. Watts is pictured here at premiere of ‘The Friend’ during the 2024 Toronto International Film earlier this month
They found a collection of genes that cause a woman’s eggs to deteriorate more quickly.
Women are born with a finite number of eggs and when this supply runs out it can trigger the hormonal changes that result in the menopause.
For most British women this happens between the ages of 45 and 55 but for about one in 20, it can happen earlier.
The new study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that some people with certain genetic characteristics are likely to run out of eggs faster than the average woman.
Specifically, women with a faulty copy of a gene called ZNF518A had the biggest decease in menopausal age, on average experiencing the change five-and-a-half years earlier than those with a normal copy.
This was found to only occur in one in every 4,000 women based on the UK sample size.
Another aspect of the study analysed if genes linked to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer also influenced the timing of the menopause.
Experts found BRCA1, which increases a woman’s chance of breast cancer by up to 85 per cent, was found to decrease the average age of the menopause by 2.1 years.
Experts also found the BRCA1 gene mutation made famous by actress Angelina Jolie, who underwent a preventative double mastectomy after testing positive for it in 2013, could lead to women experiencing the menopause about 2 years sooner than average. Jolie is pictured here at the premiere of ‘Without Blood’ at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month
Women with the faulty BRCA1 gene mutation have an up to 85 per cent lifetime risk of breast cancer, about six-fold higher than the average risk all British women have of getting the disease of about 14 per cent. Stock image
Another gene, BRCA2 which increases a woman’s chance of breast cancer by up to 77 per cent, was found to decrease the average age of menopause by 1.2 years.
For context, British woman on average only have a 14 per cent lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.
The experts identified another gene linked to the menopause timing, called SAMHD1, was also found to influence cancer risk.
This was found to delay the average age of menopause by one year.
But it was also found to increase the risk of cancer, of all kinds, in women by up to 60 per cent, particularity for breast cancer.
The authors said exploring genetic factors that influenced the menopause expanded knowledge of potential links to other diseases.
They added that finding ways to influence these genes could improve outcomes like expanding fertility options.
Professor Anna Murray, of Exeter and one of the lead authors, said: ‘For decades, menopause has been under-researched, yet now this is a rapidly evolving area of science.
‘The timing of menopause has a huge impact on women as they plan their careers and lives, and understanding the genetic changes is of particular interest in terms of potential treatments that could prolong reproductive life in future.’
Early menopause are on the whole rare, with only 5 per cent of women having one.
Actress Naomi Watts, 55 and of Mulholland Drive and Peter Jackson’s King Kong fame, is one the most famous faces to speak about undergoing an early menopause, experiencing symptoms such as ‘itchy, sensitive skin’ at 36.
She has since launched her own menopause products line Stripes to ‘address the skin and body changes of menopause’.
Signs of an early menopause include having irregular menstrual cycles over a few years, spotting between periods and changes in vaginal bleeding.
Early menopause has been linked to health problems before.
The condition is known to increase the risk of osteoporosis (weak bones), heart disease, depression, dementia and Parkinson’s. Sufferers also tend to experience menopause symptoms more severely.
Early menopause can be triggered by DNA abnormalities, an autoimmune disease or infection or a side effect of cancer treatments.
But in 90 per cent of cases, the reason for early menopause is unknown.
Those who begin menopause before they are expected to are typically offered hormonal therapy to replace the hormones that are usually produced.
Medics advise patients to take this until at least the average age of the menopause.
Early menopause is different to premature menopause which is the term used for when a woman’s periods stop before the age of 40. This only affects around 1 per cent of women.
