Menstrual cycle, pregnancies and offspring before and after MOPP therapy for Hodgkin's disease

The menstrual cycle, pregnancies and offspring were studied before and after MOPP therapy (3 or 6 cycles) in women treated for Hodgkin's disease between 1972 and 1976. All were between 16 and 45 years of age at diagnosis; none received subdiaphragmatic irradiation. This study was carried out through a questionnaire. Before treatment, all patients had normal menses; 72 pregnancies occurred; 61 children were born, 2 with minor abnormalities. After therapy, oligo or amenorrhea occurred in 26.4% of the patients. This percentage was different according to the age at therapy: 4.8% before age 30, 61.5% after age 30 (P less than 0.001); 50 women (73.6%) continued to menstruate normally, 22 of whom had 30 pregnancies; 22 children were born, 1 with a minor abnormality. All have normal physical and intellectual development. For the 73.6% of women who continued to menstruate, MOPP therapy seems to have no impact on fertility, pregnancies, and offspring.