A 55-year-old woman complains of amenorrhea and hot flashes for ...

[Melani1276]

A 55-year-old woman complains of amenorrhea and hot flashes for the last 3 months. Pregnancy test is negative. The clinician should recognize that menopause is defined as the absence of menses for:
 
  A. 3 months
  B. 6 months
  C. 1 year
  D. 18 months

Question 2

Pap smears assist in early diagnosis of uterine cancer. The peak incidence of endometrial cancer occurs in:
 
  A. Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 70 years old
  B. Postmenopausal women aged 40 to 50 years old
  C. Premenopausal women between 30 and 40 years old
  D. Premenopausal women between 40 and 50 years old

[bigsis44]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
Menopause is the absence of menses for at least 6 months. Age of menopause varies greatly, although age 50 to 55 is the typical range of onset. Although the absence of menses in a woman around the age of 50 years is diagnostic for menopause, measurement of FSH, LH, and estradiol levels are helpful in confirming the diagnosis.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
It is important to perform Pap smears on older women because 25 of cervical cancers occur in women older than 65 years of age, and the peak incidence of endometrial cancer occurs in postmenopausal women between 50 and 70 years. In patients who have had hysterectomies, a smear of the vaginal cuff is still suggested as well as inspection of the vaginal mucosa and external genitalia looking for signs of malignancy.