[Oncologic diseases in menopause: causes and methods of prevention]

Cancers of the breast, endometrium, ovary cervix and colon clearly have an important impact on women's health worldwide, in terms of their burden on incidence and mortality. Our understanding of causes of these cancers is far from complete. However, the present state of knowledge does give clues to biological mechanisms and for continued research. Presently, some prospects for prevention may be proposed. Changes in life styles regarding physical activity, diet and perhaps reproductive behavior, and also use of safe hormonal treatments, are possibilities for primary prevention. For secondary prevention, methods are available for screening early lesions in the breast, uterine cervix and colon that may enable curative treatment and reduction of mortality. Urgent topics for research include the identification of risk factors early in life and meaningful aspects of diet and life style that can be modified, and finally the investigation of chemical agents to prevent, for instance, breast cancer.