The correlation of age with chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure in breast cancer patients

Ingeborg J. H. Vriens, Ashley J. R. De Bie, Maureen J. B. Aarts, Maaike de Boer, Irene E. G. van Hellemond, Joyce H. E. Roijen, Ron J. T. van Golde, Adri C. Voogd, Vivianne C. G. Tjan-Heijnen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the incidence of chemotherapy-induced ovarian function failure (COFF) based on estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) monitoring in premenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer treated with second and third generation (neo-) adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results: We identified 115 eligible women. Two years after start of chemotherapy, COFF was significantly more often present in women >= 40 years (85.6%) as compared to women <40 years (8.7%). Only age was significantly associated with COFF two years after start of chemotherapy (HR 12.26; 95% CI 5.21-28.86). In 50% of the patients, premenopausal hormone levels were the first or only evidence of ovarian function recovery (OFR).

Materials and Methods: We included all premenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy, with or without taxanes, in our university hospital in the Netherlands in the years 2005-2013. Patients were 3-monthly monitored for ovarian function. Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the predictive impact of various parameters on the occurrence of COFF.

Conclusions: After second- or third generation (neo-) adjuvant chemotherapy, COFF was still present in 8.7% of patients <40 years after two years. FSH and estradiol monitoring may be relevant for those in whom ovarian function suppression is considered an additional effective endocrine treatment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)11372-11379
Number of pages8
JournalOncotarget
Volume8
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Feb 2017

Keywords

  • chemotherapy induced ovarian function failure
  • breast cancer
  • chemotherapy
  • ovarian insufficiency
  • premenopausal patients
  • ADJUVANT ENDOCRINE THERAPY
  • PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
  • INDUCED AMENORRHEA
  • TRIAL
  • SUPPRESSION
  • FERTILITY
  • TAMOXIFEN
  • PRESERVATION
  • INFERTILITY
  • LETROZOLE

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