Is androgen substitution necessary in hypogonadal patients when they are treated with chemotherapy for malignant diseases?
A patient with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism owing to endogenous gonadotropin releasing hormone deficiency, who developed Hodgkin's disease is described. Chemotherapy administration caused prolonged and life-threatening myelosuppression; androgen substitution seemed to reverse bone marrow function and to maintain normal peripheral blood counts. Whether or not androgens are a necessary substitution in hypogonadal patients suffering from cancer and undergoing chemotherapy is discussed.
Pavlidis
N
N
Department of Medicine, Hippocration General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Nikolaou
N
N
Tolis
C
C
Orfanos
S
S
Tolis
G
G
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000187:drug effects; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008466:Mechlorethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones / Q000172:deficiency; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones; D011344:Procarbazine; D013739:Testosterone; D008466:Mechlorethamine; D014750:Vincristine; D011241:Prednisone