Gonadal Function in Adolescent Patients Submitted to Chemotherapy during Childhood or during the Pubertal Period

Abstract 

Study Objective

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

Design

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

Setting

Tertiary care public hospital.

Participants

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.

Interventions and Main Outcome Measures

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).

Conclusion

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.

Key Words: Drug therapy, Puberty, Ovarian function tests, Gonadotropins