Gonadal function in adolescent patients submitted to chemotherapy during childhood or during the pubertal period.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the presence of impaired gonadal function in adolescent patients submitted to chemotherapy during childhood or during the pubertal period.


METHODS
A case series study of 28 patients aged 12 to 19 years with menarche at least 2 years before the study.


METHODS
Tertiary care public hospital.


METHODS
Group I: 14 adolescents previously submitted to chemotherapy during the prepubertal or peripubertal period and with remission of oncologic disease for at least 2 years; Group II: 14 normal adolescents with no previous oncologic disease and with regular menstrual cycles.


METHODS
Pubertal development, menstrual cycles and serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were determined during the early follicular phase.


RESULTS
There were no differences between the two groups in terms of age at appearance of secondary sexual characteristics or age at menarche. Menstrual irregularity was detected in 7 of the 14 patients in Group I, all 8 of whom presented oligomenorrhea. There were no differences in LH levels between the two groups (P = 0.55), although mean FSH levels were higher in Group I than in Group II (6.71 +/- 2.99 mIU/ml vs. 3.83 +/- 2.01 mIU/ml, P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Although girls submitted to chemotherapy during the prepubertal or peripubertal period presented normal sexual development, the incidence of oligomenorrhea was higher than expected for their age, and FSH levels, although within normal limits, were higher than those seen in normally cycling girls.
Rosa e Silva
Ana Carolina J S
AC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. anasars@convex.com.br
Rosa e Silva
Julio Cesar
JC
Reis
Rosana M
RM
Tone
Luís G
LG
Silva de Sá
Marcos F
MF
Ferriani
Rui A
RA
D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D049669:History, 16th Century; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009839:Oligomenorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects*; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone