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Administering Gonadotropin-Releasing Analogs During Chemo in Premenopausal Women With BC Reduces Ovarian Impairment
Clinical trial results reveal gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs (GnRHa) promote the recovery of ovarian function and reduces the risk of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in premenopausal women with breast cancer.
Through the efforts of a randomized clinical trial conducted at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital and Zhejiang Cancer Hospital in China, researchers aimed to determine whether administering GnRHa during chemotherapy in premenopausal women aged 18 to 49 years with operable stage I to III breast cancer can reduce ovarian impairment. Patients were randomized to receive chemotherapy with or without GnRHa. The primary end point was the rate of POI at 12 months following chemotherapy. Anti-Müllerian hormone levels of less than 0.5 ng/mL represented POI in this study.
As a result, the POI rate was 10.3% in the GnRHa group and 44.5% in the control group 12 months following chemotherapy completion. The anti-Müllerian hormone resumption rate was 15 of 25 in the GnRHa group and 6 of 44 in the control group. In patients younger than 35 years, the tumor-free survival rate was higher in the GnRHa group compared with the control group (93% vs 62%; P = .004; hazard ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.03-0.82; P = .03).
“This randomized clinical trial found that administering GnRHa in treatment with chemotherapy for premenopausal patients with breast cancer reduces the risk of POI, which promotes the recovery of ovarian function,” concluded investigators. -Alexis Hyams
Reference
Zong X, Yu Y, Yang H, et al. Effects of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analogs on Ovarian Function Against Chemotherapy-Induced Gonadotoxic Effects in Premenopausal Women With Breast Cancer in China: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2021;e216214. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.6214
