GnRH Analogs May Prevent Chemotherapy-Associated Premature Menopause

International study suggests this is true, but other studies are not as definitive.

Young women with breast cancer who receive alkylating agents are at high risk for premature ovarian failure (POF). Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists stop follicular development; hence, treating premenopausal women with these agents during chemotherapy may protect them from developing POF. At the 2014 meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, investigators reported results of a study in which premenopausal women aged <50 with early-stage, estrogen- and progesterone-receptor–negative breast cancer were randomized to receive standard cyclophosphamide-containing chemotherapy with or without monthly goserelin (3.6 mg subcutaneously) begun 1 week before chemotherapy.

Compared with women who did not receive goserelin, those…

Reviewing Author

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

Robert W. Rebar, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardMyovant Sciences, Inc.

Editorial BoardsEndoText; Clinical OB/GYN Alert

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine (Member, Ethics Committee)

GnRH Analogs May Prevent Chemotherapy-Associated Premature Menopause

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Reviewing Author