The Menopause and Cancer Podcast

This is a thought provoking podcast that will have you questioning why you do what you do. Cancer treatments come with many physical changes, from the obvious hair loss to menopausal weight gain and many in between. We’ve not asked for them and often all we want is to go back to the pre-cancer versions of ourselves.  But have we also been socialised as women to dislike ourselves, to dislike o...

“I'd like to know about reducing dementia risks when not on HRT. I’m really worried about my brain health.”  This is what many women who are dealing with early onset menopause worry about especially when HRT is not an option.  We have the fab Barbie Boule on the podcast today explains to us how we can reduce our risks of Alzheimer’s by over 50%.  “How? What? Without HRT?” I hea...

Dr Sarah Ball and Dr Alison Macbeth discuss the challenges of endocrine treatment and the significant impact this has on the patients they see. They also answer some of our listeners' questions, such as the use of HRT with Tamoxifen and we discuss vaginal oestrogen whilst on Tamoxifen and vaginal oestrogen whilst on aromatase inhibitors. Dr Sarah Ball has a special interest in women with a past hi...

Many people say their clinical nurse specialist has helped them much more in dealing with menopausal symptoms than their doctors ever did. Sadly, many more say they were pushed back when they went and asked for help.  Andrea Ward is a team leader for the breast care nurse team at York and Scarborough NHS Trust. She works in a combined role as a Macmillan Breast Care Clinical Nurse Specialist...

Professor Waljit Dhillo is a Professor in Endocrinology & Metabolism at Imperial College London. He has shown for the first time that NK3R antagonists reduce menopausal symptoms by 73% in post-menopausal women with severe flushing.  This is incredible!  Let’s hear how this can help you. About Dani: The Menopause and Cancer Podcast is hosted by Dani Binnington, menopause guide, patien...

We are often so wrapped up in our own experiences that we have little time to learn about others. Yet, it is the thinking and learning outside the box that can often help us move forward the most. Erectile dysfunction is a side effect of some treatments for prostate cancer for men. Just like we know low libido can affect women. But what are the differences between men and women? What help is avail...

Nigel Denby is a registered dietitian and author of ten successful nutrition books. He is on the podcast today to help us understand how we can tackle weight loss. Where do we even start to address this?  Do we need to work with a calorie deficit or not?  And how do we set realistic aims? We also talk about insulin sensitivity and the onset of IBS stye symptoms. I am amazed by the 10% st...

Today I’m celebrating my birthday and it is a great opportunity to dive a little deeper into self-celebration. Yes! You heard correctly I want to challenge you in celebrating yourself today too - because it is not bragging or showing off - it’s actually OK! Tune in for why it’s important, what it might mean for you and I will lead by example and celebrate myself openly on the podcast today! About...

Do you wake up at 3am and can’t fall back asleep? Or do you struggle to fall asleep? Has your sleep changed since you’re on long-term cancer treatment? Our guest today is the incredible Dr Zoe Schaedel who is a sleep AND menopause expert. She has extensive experience in helping cancer patients both in the NHS and privately and she will talk to us through everything there is to know: from sleeping...

When Jo Woolnough asked her oncologist to discuss the use of HRT after her breast cancer diagnosis her oncologist said “No, she can’t have that conversation.”  In this episode, I want to find out what Jo’s thought processes were in exploring HRT after her oestrogen driven breast cancer and I am curious to hear if Jo got her “Funny back”. The use of HRT after a cancer diagnosis is a topic that...

In today’s episode, I want to find out how best to eat from a researcher who has run more than 30 human nutrition studies! To my surprise, it is way more than what we put on our plates and I am blown away by some of the facts that our guest is sharing with us. Dr Sarah Berry is an associate professor at Kings College London and has run more than 30 human nutrition studies. Most notably, she's the...

Healing is not linear and it takes time to digest our options and figure out what’s best to do next. Our entire life’s experiences shape our decision making process in the now and even if we know all of our options it does not mean we are ready to take action. Much talking and much ‘mulling over’ needs to happen too. I am so grateful that Keeley Farrington has offered to come onto the podcast toda...

Has anyone been told by their consultant not to drink alcohol once diagnosed with breast cancer? I have and it's hard to swallow! This was a question we had in the Facebook community and a flurry of messages followed. So I wanted to talk about my personal relationship with alcohol and how that has changed over the years. So come and join me on my thought processes and why becoming teetotal was eas...

If you think an oncologist should have it all figured out then think again. Rachel Elliot has been an oncologist for decades and only once she was diagnosed with a hormone dependant breast cancer herself did she realise how under-supported women are in managing their symptoms and experiences.  This is a wonderful account of a Doctor who became the patient.  “It really struck home that I...

Welcome to our myth busting session!  There are many controversial topics in the cancer space. There is much confusion and as patients, we often have many questions. Many of you tell me that you’ve tried to ask your oncologist about various topics but were unsatisfied with the answers you got. Does a vegan diet help with hot flushes?  How shall I eat to improve my chances of survival?&nb...

What do we know about the use of testosterone therapy for a person with a history of cancer? What data is available to us and how do we use this to make decisions in a patient-doctor relationship? I discuss this with Mr. Vikram Talaulikar, associate specialist at the reproductive medicine unit and associate Professor in Women's Health at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He...

Today we are joined by Dr Angela Wright, a BMS Advanced Menopause Specialist & Menopause Trainer who is particularly interested in improving sexual function and menopausal symptoms in women who have undergone cancer treatment. Angela talks about addressing the patient as a whole body, in a holistic way, incorporating mental and emotional health into a person’s physical healing and recovery.&nb...

Today’s episode is a little different - I want to share my truth with you and be as open as I can be with my experiences of life over the last two months. Because healing is not linear. Because my trust in my own body is so fragile at times. Because I want to stay true to my values and one of them is being honest. Because I am 10 years on from my initial diagnosis! YAY! I am so very lucky :-) What...

Histamine Intolerance is one of the much lesser-known symptoms of menopause and I am delighted to welcome Dr Anisha Patel onto this week's episode. Anita has been diagnosed with bowel cancer herself and shares not only her personal story but also many nuggets from her professional experience as a GP with a special interest in women’s health. A key takeaway for me from speaking to Anisha was that a...

In a recent poll in my private Facebook group, I asked our members to tick all the symptoms they associate with being in menopause after cancer. I plan to address these one by one over the next few months with all my amazing experts on the podcast. Today, I am joined by Dr. Phillippa Kaye, who is a London based GP with over a decade of experience. Together we will explore what came out at the very...

Both tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are hormonal therapies used in the treatment of oestrogen-positive (ER-positive) breast cancers to stop tumour growth and recurrence and to treat cancer that has come back after initial treatment or that has spread to other parts of the body. These treatments come with the benefits of reducing the risks of cancer recurrence and they also come with...

Do we need a supplement? Do they even work? How should we eat in menopause after cancer? How to move? Anti-Inflammatory diets? What does that actually mean? Genomic Testing, Thermography… All these above questions come into my inbox every week and I can’t help but think that so many of us cancer survivors are dabbling at integrating methods into our lives - but from personal experience, I kno...

I met Sophie Trew years ago when she was organising Trewfields, a holistic well-being festival for cancer folk. It was wonderful. Today she is a breath work coach and leads specific breath sessions for people affected by cancer. Just like so many of my guests, Sophie has an incredible story to tell. Her cancer diagnosis came in her early 20’s and today talking to her I want to find what happened a...

Welcome to 2023! Before I bring you lots of great experts again this year before we dive deep into the nitty-gritty of how to manage menopause after cancer… I wanted to welcome you to the new year with my 5 top tips that are relevant to anyone. Regardless of your cancer, how and why you are in menopause, you are welcome here and I hope you find my tips a useful guide for a clear and positive start...

This might be the most powerful practice you can do ALL year!  Do you struggle with setting clear goals for the coming year?  Or perhaps you are like me and you sometimes can't remember quite how much you have achieved this year.  One thing is for sure, new year’s resolutions don’t work, we all know that. But starting a new year without any thought even? That doesn’t sit s...