Episode 215 - Bone Health After Cancer & Menopause: What Every Survivor Needs to Know

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of cancer treatment and menopause on bone health, featuring insights from a specialist and survivor.

In this episode, I’m joined by Lindsey Lester, a British Menopause Society-accredited specialist and breast cancer survivor, for an essential conversation on bone health after cancer and menopause. Bone health is one of the most common — and least talked about — long-term effects of cancer treatment. Whether your menopause was triggered suddenly by treatment or has developed over time, the impact on your bones can be significant. We explore how treatments such as chemotherapy, endocrine therapies (including tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors), steroids, and treatment-induced menopause can all affect bone density — across different types of cancer, not just breast cancer. We also talk about who may be most at risk, how quickly bone density can change, and why bone loss is often called a “silent” condition — with many people not realising until much later. A key part of this conversation is understanding DEXA scans — when to have one, how often to monitor your bone health, and what it really means if you’re told you have osteopenia or osteoporosis. But most importantly, this episode is about what you can do. From nutrition and movement to medications and monitoring, Lindsey shares…

People in this episode

Host: Dani Binnington

Guest: Lindsey Lester

Topics covered

• bone health
• cancer treatment
• menopause
• osteopenia
• osteoporosis
• DEXA scans
• nutrition and movement

Keywords

• bone density
• cancer survivor
• menopause effects
• DEXA scan
• osteopenia
• osteoporosis
• nutrition
• movement
• HRT alternatives

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British Menopause Society

Products: chemotherapy, endocrine therapies, tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, steroids

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• Episode 221 - Who controls what happens between women’s legs after menopause · June 10, 2026 · 36 min
• Episode 220 - What are my rights? Working with cancer and menopause · June 3, 2026 · 52 min
• Episode 219 - Who Am I Now: Identity After Menopause and Cancer · May 27, 2026 · 51 min
• Episode 218 - What Is It Like for Partners? Men Supporting Women Through Cancer & Menopause · May 20, 2026 · 44 min
• Episode 217 - Support, Strength & Saying It As It Is - Living with Secondary Cancer · May 13, 2026 · 45 min
• Episode 216 - Is It Brain Fog… or ADHD? · May 6, 2026 · 46 min