Abstract
Long-term reproductive and gonadal steroid potential has been investigated in 10 female patients (pts) who were treated for a variety of abdominal malignancies before puberty. All pts presented with complaints of primary amenorrhea and lack of development of secondary sexual characteristics while off therapy and free of extant disease for 1-23 years. Evaluation consisted of assessment of pubertal development according to Tanner and by double antibody radioimmunoassay of serum gonadotropins according to Odell. All pts demonstrated significantly elevated serum gonadotropins indicative of ovarian failure: 24 mIU/ml to 85 mIU/ml LH and 78 mIU/ml to 156 mIU/ml FSH, with FSH consistently elevated above LH. The pts had been treated with between 1790-5500 rad to the abdomen and/or pelvis in fractionated doses as well as one or a combination of chemotherapeutic agents including vincristine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, actinomycin D or chlorambucil. Improved long-term survivorship from prepubertal malignancies necessitates consideration of future ovarian steroidal and reproductive function in therapeutic regimes. Evaluation of other pts to attempt to separate the effects of radio- and chemotherapy on gonadal function, as well as assessment of the effects of replacement estrogen therapies is planned. (Supported by Grant CA82002.)
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Stillman, R., Schiff, I., Jaffe, N. et al. 340 OVARIAN FAILURE FOLLOWING CANCER THERAPY IN THE PREPUBERTAL FEMALE. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 420 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00345
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00345