Periods after chemotherapy

[Tanay]

Hi All,

I completed my chemo on January 8.. After chemo got over I got my periods on April 3rd which lasted for 2 days ... I was expecting periods to come back on 3 rd May... But till date it didn't come back.... And I am getting cramps from last 10 days.. I never used to have these cramps/ pain before treatment

Is this normal after chemo?? Will there be long gap between 2 periods??

Pls share your experience Whether you are getting regular periods and Do you get cramps before periods.... .??

[manish_vkg TeamBCI]

Hi Tanay, this is very normal and if u r on hormone therapy like tamoxifen..then it would be the cause for the same..

Some chemotherapy drugs can damage the ovaries and stop regular menstrual cycles (amenorrhea). In women under 40, this condition is often temporary (periods usually start again). In women over 40, it is more often permanent, meaning menopause begins earlier than expected [31]. Some women may begin having periods again months or years after chemotherapy ends. However, even for women whose periods return, menopause may still begin at an earlier age than for other women.

Regards,

Manish

[Tanay in reply to manish_vkg]

Thanks a lot Manish for sharing the details....

[sumeet_shah Administrator]

Periods are known to behave very erratically when they return after chemotherapy.

About 50% of premenopausal women will never get their periods back and the remaining 50% get their periods within a few years of stopping chemotherapy. For some they are normal and for others, they are not.

What is more important about this bleeding is, are you taking Tamoxifen (given for ER+ BC in premenopausal women). Tamoxifen can cause increase in width of the inner lining of the uterus and this can cause bleeding. So for anyone on Tamoxifen and having irregular bleeding, we insist on a pelvic ultrasound with a TVS and see the uterus and endometrial thickness. But if the lady is not taking Tamoxifen or anything else and still has irregular bleeding, we wait for a period or two to see if it normalizes. If it does not, it is always safer to do a pelvic ultrasound and check. Not for any cancer as such, but just to see health of uterus.

[Tanay]

Thanks a lot Dr Sumeet for detailed information...