ABSTRACT
Cessation of menstruation associated with decreased estrogen secretion by the ovaries in the healthy woman may occur between the ages of 35 and 60. Changes in biochemical constituents occurring at the menopause have been quantified and the average period over which the climacteric occurs has been clearly defined. The theory of "gonadotrophin excess" secondary to estrogen deficiency has been postulated as the primary cause of many of the changes and symptoms occurring at the menopause, but this theory is generally discounted. The clinical chemist is frequently faced with the problems of defining the reference values related to age and sex for many constituents in serum. The influence of change in hormonal status at the menopause on the development of breast carcinoma and other cancers has been studied by several workers, but as the etiology of cancer is so complex, interpretation of the findings is difficult.
