Plasma Treatment Shows Promise For Menopause Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Survivors

Key Takeaways

• Platelet-rich plasma treatment may help breast cancer survivors manage menopause symptoms

• The treatment injects women’s own plasma back into their vagina

• About 95% of women reported symptom relief following this treatment

THURSDAY, Nov. 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Plasma infusions may help breast cancer survivors avoid genital and urinary symptoms while on hormone blockers, a recent study says.

As many as 70% of breast cancer survivors suffer from vaginal dryness, itching, burning, frequent UTI and pain during sex while taking estrogen-blocking drugs called aromatase inhibitors.

But an infusion of platelet-rich plasma relieved these symptoms among nearly all participants in a small-scale pilot study, researchers recently reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

“Our data shows that as many as 20% of breast cancer survivors on aromatase inhibitors will stop taking their medication prematurely because they cause severe genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) symptoms,” lead researcher Dr. Anita Chen, a gynecologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, said in a news release.

“This early discontinuation of their breast cancer therapy can lead to worse outcomes in breast cancer survivorship. So, clearly, nonhormonal treatment options for GSM are needed,” Chen added.

GSM symptoms are common among menopausal women as estrogen levels decline, researchers said. Some use vaginal estrogen treatment to relieve them.

However, estrogen is not an attractive option for many breast cancer survivors taking aromatase inhibitors to produce less estrogen, researchers noted.

For this study, researchers turned to platelet-rich plasma, a component of blood that contains many healing properties, to treat 20 breast cancer survivors with GSM.

Each woman had her own blood drawn and then spun down to obtain platelets and plasma. This platelet-rich plasma was then injected into the woman’s vagina.

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By six months, 95% of women reported improvement in their GSM symptoms, results show.

“Breast cancer patients' GSM symptoms had significantly improved, including sexual function, urinary symptoms and overall quality of life, even amongst those taking estrogen blockers," researcher Dr. Emanuel Trabuco, a gynecologist with the Mayo Clinic, said in a news release.

"All of our participants completed the injection protocol and rigorous follow-up, which suggests that this population desires treatment for a bothersome condition, one that is likely underreported, underestimated and undertreated," Chen said.

"Most importantly, none of the participants stopped their breast cancer treatment or experienced cancer recurrence during the study,” Chen added.

Researchers next plan to proceed to a phase 2 clinical trial that will compare platelet-rich plasma injections against a placebo to treat GSM in breast cancer survivors.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on genitourinary syndrome of menopause.

SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, news release, Oct. 22, 2025

What This Means For You

Breast cancer survivors suffering from genitourinary syndrome of menopause should talk with their doctor about upcoming trials for platelet-rich plasma treatment.