• New analysis from Macmillan Cancer Support shows tens of thousands of women with cancer under 50 struggle with hormone-related side-effects of cancer treatment such as early menopause, with this number expected to increase.
• Following its successful Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacist initiative, Boots will now train all 1,400 of its pharmacy technicians to offer cancer support on the high street
• Paralympian Erin Kennedy has partnered with Boots to raise awareness of the impact of early menopause induced by cancer treatment and the support available 

New analysis from Macmillan Cancer Support reveals that an estimated 60,000 women with cancer under 50 in the UK, or more than one in three (37%), are struggling with hormone-related side-effects of cancer treatment such as early menopause.¹ 

With the number of people living with cancer in the UK continuing to rise,² and rates for some cancers increasing in people under 50,³ the number of women who will experience an early menopause induced by cancer treatment is expected to increase in the coming years.  

In response, Boots and Macmillan are raising awareness of early menopause caused by cancer treatment this Menopause Awareness Month. Despite the significant impact on physical and emotional health, many women say they are left feeling unprepared and alone in navigating menopause induced by cancer treatment.⁴ 

As well as raising awareness, Boots and Macmillan are expanding their partnership to offer additional support on the high street for people affected by cancer. Adding to their Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacist and Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisor schemes, Boots and Macmillan will launch training for pharmacy technicians, who will become Boots Macmillan Information Technicians after completing the training.  

Like the training for Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists, the training for Boots Macmillan Information Technicians has been developed by Boots and Macmillan and will enable pharmacy technicians to gain an understanding of aspects of different cancers and listen to patients’ concerns so they can provide emotional support to help them live well with cancer and signpost to other services as appropriate. 

Paralympic rowing cox, Erin Kennedy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer and had an early menopause at age 29 due to cancer treatment, said: “When I was diagnosed with cancer, I never expected to face medically induced menopause as well – it felt like an added challenge on top of everything else. At the time, there was little support available, especially for younger women like me.  

“I had to figure out my own ways to cope with the intense symptoms, like hot flushes and brain fog, and I felt very alone in the process. It’s incredible that there is accessible support available on the high street with Boots and Macmillan to help an increasing number of women navigate this difficult experience. I only wish I had known about this kind of help when I was going through it.” 

Claire Nevinson, Boots Superintendent Pharmacist, said: “Early menopause caused by cancer treatment is an issue that can be overlooked, leaving women in this situation feeling isolated and unsure of where to turn to for help. Through our partnership with Macmillan we aim to close this gap and ensure that those going through this challenging experience can access advice, emotional support, and signposting through our pharmacies, right on the high street.” 

Early menopause can occur as a result of several cancer treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormonal treatments.   

Dr Hannah Tharmalingam, a consultant oncologist and National Clinical Advisor at Macmillan, said: “Menopause induced by cancer treatment is a different experience to a naturally occurring menopause and can require additional support. Firstly, it is usually accelerated, making the physical and emotional toll higher. A medically-induced menopause can also result in infertility as well as a higher risk of medical conditions such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, which are commonly associated with much older women. 

“At Macmillan, we encourage all women going through cancer treatment who may experience early menopause due to their treatment, to speak to their oncologist or GP about how to manage their menopause symptoms – both in terms of their physical and mental health. We’re delighted to be extending our partnership with Boots to offer additional and accessible support for those affected by cancer.” 

There are over 2,500 Boots Macmillan Information Pharmacists and over 600 Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors at Boots stores across the UK. The training for Boots Macmillan Information Technicians will be rolled out to 1,400 pharmacy technicians at Boots in the coming months.  

Boots and Macmillan have launched dedicated information and resources about early menopause induced by cancer treatment on the Boots Health Hub to further reduce the information gap for women going through this journey. 

^{1Figure estimated using Macmillan/YouGov survey of people with cancer (June 2024) combined with Macmillan analysis of UK prevalence data. Macmillan Cancer Support/YouGov survey of 2,078 adults in the UK who have had a cancer diagnosis, including 115 women under 50 who were diagnosed within the past 20 years. Fieldwork was undertaken between 11th and 30th June 2024. Among women under 50 diagnosed within the past 20 years, 37% had serious concerns (levels 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) for ‘Hormone-related issues (e.g. hot flushes, excess sweating, early menopause, etc.). 60,000 figure estimated by applying the 37% to an estimate of the total number of women under 50 with cancer in the UK who were diagnosed within the past 20 years (166,300 women). This estimate is based on statistics for observed cancer prevalence published by NHS England, Public Health Scotland, N. Ireland Cancer Registry and provided to Macmillan Cancer Support by the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit.} 

^{2Macmillan Cancer Support. Cancer prevalence. Accessed September 2024}

^{3Cancer Research UK. Cancer incidence by age. Accessed September 2024}

^{4Picker/NHS England. England National Cancer Patient Experience Survey (CPES) – 2021 qualitative deep-dive report. Accessed September 2024}