Breast Cancer Archive

Fibroids can change as hormone levels shift, but bleeding patterns and new symptoms after menopause still deserve careful medical attention.

Vaginal dryness and discomfort can affect intimacy and daily life. See which options may ease symptoms linked to changing estrogen levels.

Women’s reproductive history, including first period, pregnancy, and menopause, influences their lifetime exposure to estrogen, which appears to shape brain aging and dementia risk. Menopause is believed to be the strongest reproductive factor, with later menopause tied to lower dementia risk.

In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued cervical cancer screening guidelines that, for the first time, include an option for women to perform an at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) test. HPV causes about 95% of cervical cancers.

A major study of survivors of nonmetastatic prostate cancer found that those eating the most saturated fat had a 24% higher risk of death over a 13-year period, mainly from heart disease and other cancers. Swapping animal fats for plant-based, unsaturated fats was linked to significantly lower risks.

Each year, about 600,000 American women undergo hysterectomy—surgery to remove the uterus and sometimes other reproductive organs as well—most often to alleviate symptoms rather than to save lives. Women opt for hysterectomy for conditions such as excessive uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, and fibroids.

A 2026 study suggested that menopausal women who used estrogen-only hormone therapy were less likely than women who didn’t use hormone therapy to develop Alzheimer’s-related brain changes or be diagnosed with dementia.

Stress can disrupt the menstrual cycle, but it isn’t the only possible cause of a late period. Find out what to consider before assuming why.

While starting hormone therapy to curb menopause symptoms is considered safest before age 60 and within 10 years of menopause, there’s no defined age at which women need to stop using it. Various factors should be considered when deciding whether to continue, including age, overall health, and medical history.

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer death, but early screening can detect it while it’s treatable, curable, and even preventable. A 2026 study found that use of an at-home stool test was linked to as much as a 43% reduction in colorectal cancer deaths.