Conservative management for perimenopausal women with uterine leiomyomas using Chinese herbal medicines and synthetic analogs of gonadotropin-releasing hormone.
The effects of a long-term intranasal administration of each of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs, buserelin and nafarelin on uterine leiomyomas after conservative treatment using Chinese herbal medicines, Keishi-bukuryo-gan and Shakuyaku-kanzo-to were investigated in 30 perimenopausal women with leiomyomas. Hypermenorrhea and/or dysmenorrhea as a chief complaint was moderately improved by the treatment using Chinese herbal medicines in more than 60% of the patients with less than fist-sized leiomyomas, but not the over fist-sized. Afterwards, continuous treatment using analogs produced a long-term reduction in leiomyomas (less than 60%) along with decreases in the serum levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol, and the tumor marker CA-125, and adverse effects including slight boneloss. Long-term treatment using Chinese herbal medicines and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs for the management of uterine leiomyomas could be beneficial for patients a few years before menopause, though possible side effects of this treatment should be monitored.
Department of Endocrinology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
S
S
Sakamoto
T
T
Mitamura
M
M
Iwasawa
H
H
Kitsunai
K
K
Shindou
Y
Y
Yagishita
Y F
YF
Zhou
S
S
Sassa
D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002064:Buserelin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006035:Glycyrrhiza; D006728:Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017274:Nafarelin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D029596:Paeonia; D010346:Patient Care Management; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D006728:Hormones; C038462:shakuyaku-kanzoh-toh; D017274:Nafarelin; D002064:Buserelin