Definition of "premenopausal" [premenopausal]

• Of or relating to the years or the stage of life immediately before the onset of menopause. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Moreover, mammograms can miss cancers in premenopausal women due to the density of their breasts, and also fail to detect cancers smaller than half an inch."
• "Compounding these problems, missed cancers are common in premenopausal women due to the density of their breasts."
• "Again, exceptions are often made in premenopausal women with early stage uterine cancers, and some of these women are being treated hormonally rather than with surgery."