[Puberty and ovarian function following cytostatic therapy in childhood]

Chemotherapy for malignant disease can cause gonadal dysfunction. However, little is known about the reversibility and severity of these effects in girls treated during childhood or puberty. For this reason we investigated clinical data and endocrine parameters (FSH, LH, PRL, E2, progesterone) of 51 adolescent females. Our clinical data showed that intermittent pulse chemotherapy as administered to most patients with solid tumours leads to a more pronounced growth retardation than continuous low dose chemotherapy as given to patients with leukemia and lymphomas. Girls treated prior to menarche failed to start menstruation while on chemotherapy, but all had their menarche shortly after cessation of the treatment. Most of the girls treated post menarche developed amenorrhoea, whereas some had irregular cycles unless they were on a very mild drug regimen. From the endocrinous data we concluded that primary ovarian failure was rare and occurred in adolescent girls only after a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In girls with regular menstrual cycles after treatment a high incidence of anovulation or an inadequate luteal phase could be observed. The latter symptoms may be signs of hypothalamic ovarian failure as caused by stress, anxiety and emotions associated with a malignant disease.