[Ovarian function and recurrence in adjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer]

The present paper reports the results of a prospective study of the influence of adjuvant chemotherapy (1) on ovarian function and (2) on recurrence and the patient's endocrine function status. Observation criteria were the endocrine status before, during and after chemotherapy. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 78 months. The patient population comprised 80 women, of whom 39 were treated with AC and 41 with CMF. Of the 80 women, 56 (70.0%) had hypergonadotropic function at the end of treatment; 31 of these had been treated with AC and 25 with CMF. Significantly more women (p less than 0.1) who had undergone AC therapy were hypergonadotropic than among those treated with CMF; 28 of the patients had recurrences during the follow-up period. Among women with undisturbed ovarian function under chemotherapy (eugonadotropinemia), recurrences occurred more frequently (50.0%) than among chemically castrated patients (28.6%). This effect was especially apparent among patients in the AC group with positive receptor status and chemotherapeutically induced ovarian suppression. CMF therapy produced no difference between eugonadotropic and hypergonadotropic patients with regard to frequency of recurrences, not even when there was a correlation with their receptor status.