Lisa Ray on surviving cancer, freezing eggs and dealing with menopause at 37: ‘Today, I run with my daughters’

I was 37 when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare type of blood cancer that suddenly reduced my lifespan to five more years. This news was followed by seemingly endless conversations about chemotherapy, with my oncologist simultaneously preparing me for a stem-cell transplant.

During this period, somewhere in the flurry of consent forms and treatment schedules, a fleeting warning was subtly placed upon me: the transplant would likely leave me infertile. My doctors advised me that if I needed to make other “arrangements,” I should do so quickly. I froze my eggs in the scramble of events that followed, but I didn’t really have the strength to process what any of that meant.

That statement, tossed within the margins of my life-threatening diagnosis, was the only warning I remember of what the treatment would cost me hormonally. What followed was chemo-induced menopause, a phase that arrived in all its force, decades earlier than expected. Although my oncological team equipped me to fight cancer, no one had prepared me for the psychological transition that began and reshaped the rest of my life.

A large part of my revelations during those years came from navigating the effects of premature menopause, an experience that exposed the broader gaps in women’s healthcare, ones that ran far beyond cancer and eventually drove me to create content as a means to spread awareness on the overlooked struggles of menopause. What tests does one need to do? For example, should one do a test for autoimmune diseases, thyroid function, or genetics?

The cancer overshadowed everything else

When I was diagnosed, the immediate focus was on cancer treatment, most of which was taken care of through intensive chemotherapy and my stem cell transplant process. However, the diagnosis didn’t begin with dramatic symptoms. Instead, it subtly surfaced through routine tests. These revealed some abnormalities like profound anemia, which prompted my hematologist to investigate further.

The following diagnostic then revealed a bone marrow biopsy and abnormal antibodies, both of which fell under the international standard for multiple myeloma. For my diagnosis, the investigations implicated on me were for cancer care, while the menopause became a consequence of therapy, never really standing out as a separate medical conversation.

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The sidelining of this premature phase caused initial complications for me, which I eventually tackled through a period of self-discovery and empowerment. Today, most doctors have begun to recognize that menopause overall requires more thorough assessment, with premature menopause calling for more attention. There are a variety of tests to take for it, ranging from a DEXA scan for bone health to baseline cholesterol levels to assess factors like blood pressure or cardiovascular risk.

How I used HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy)?

I didn’t commence HRT as soon as I entered chemotherapy-induced menopause around the age of 37. Instead, I waited until 15 years later and finally underwent it at 53. My fear for HRT, though, can be attributed to the widespread belief that HRT was directly correlated with increased risk for cancer, a consequence I wasn’t willing to gamble with. Later, I realized that this study from the Women’s Health Initiative was retracted in 2025 due to the determination of faulty evidence and research methodology, thereby deeming the correlation as nonexistent.

At 52, after consulting an integrative gynaecologist, I finally began my HRT. The decision wasn’t an impulsive one and was rather backed by medical supervision, based on both my individualized history and the reassessing of empirical evidence. Within days, I noticed improvements in my sleep, my mood, and my overall energy. It definitely isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution but every woman deserves the comfort of knowing that it doesn’t always cause cancer and that it’s okay to take the help if and when it’s required.

Of course, the guidance of a qualified menopausal specialist for risk-benefit discussions and practical insights is a must. My discussions with my gynecologist enabled the narrowing down of the idea that multiple myeloma is a hematological cancer, not a hormone-sensitive one. There was, therefore, no established evidence that menopausal HRT increases the risk of multiple myeloma resurfacing. Treatment decisions must be made individually, taking into factor age, medical history, cardiovascular risk, and inevitably, the severity of menopausal symptoms.

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What about fertility preservation?

In 2009, the year that I was diagnosed, fertility preservation was available but it wasn’t as widely used nor routinely integrated, especially within oncological care. Although I was pushed into early menopause at 37, I was fortunate to freeze my eggs before my stem cell treatment, which is what pushed me into chemo induced menopause. Years later, though, after my marriage and the realisation that I wanted to be a mother, my husband and I explored our options.

By that time, my fertility had been compromised and my long-term medication made pregnancy highly unsafe, so we turned to the prospect of gestational surrogacy. The process was long and emotionally demanding, but it ultimately blessed us with our lovely twin daughters, Soleil and Sufi.

How I got back the strength in my bones

The chemotherapy-induced menopause didn’t just affect my fertility and hormones; it also caused long-term consequences for my bone health. Although I won’t pretend that there’s a universal prescription for such a case, maintaining and strengthening my bone health became a crucial part of my survivorship journey. That meant that, as estrogen levels declined, the doctors had to monitor my health closely and prioritize the improvement in my bone health.

For many women going through premature menopause, especially in tandem with a cancer diagnosis, some doctors insist on ensuring adequate calcium and Vitamin D intake, describing it as critical in avoiding the risk of osteoporosis, a disease which weakens your bones to the extent that they get susceptible to repetitive fracturing. Later research that I conducted once I began my advocacy for menopausal awareness revealed that women lose up to 20% of their bone mineral density during the first 5-7 years after menopause.

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Of course, I was given warnings and a variety of medicinal measures were taken, some of which included an intake of these supplements. Today I understand the best strategy to maintain bone health extends beyond supplements into weight training, adequate protein to maintain muscle which ultimately also is the complementary scaffolding for our bones.

How I managed cholesterol and heart health

One of the overlooked consequences of premature menopause is that it increases the risk for long-term cardiovascular diseases. My gynaecologist had explained to me very simply that when estrogen levels decline, LDL or “bad” cholesterol tends to increase, while HDL or “good” cholesterol tends to reduce and become less productive. Thus, when menopause occurs prematurely, the long-term risk of coronary heart disease or stroke and heart failure increases in comparison to women that undergo menopause at the average age of 51. It doesn’t mean that every woman undergoing premature menopause will suffer from this, but the odds do have the possibility of turning slightly against them.

However, this knowledge that I now have isn’t something I was equipped with before. That consequently made a large part of my journey through menopause a highly self-reflective one. I realized that a big part of overcoming diseases and health defects is inclusive of psychological integrity, or the strength of an individual mind.