scholarly journals Adverse reproductive health outcomes in a cohort of young women with breast cancer exposed to systemic treatments

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Silva ◽  
Ana Cristina Ribeiro Rama ◽  
Sérgio Reis Soares ◽  
Mariana Moura-Ramos ◽  
Teresa Almeida-Santos
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Hormonal Therapy ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Systemic Treatments ◽  
Future Fertility

Abstract Background Breast cancer is the most common cancer in young women. Fortunately current survival rates of BC are significant which makes future fertility very important for quality of life of BC survivors. Chemotherapy carries a significant risk of infertility in BC patients so it is important to support fertility preservation decisions in premenopausal women. Amenorrhea has long been used as a surrogate marker of infertility in cancer patients but more reliable ovarian reserve (OR) markers are available. This study aimed to prospectively measure levels of OR in a cohort of young women with breast cancer exposed to chemotherapy, to identify adverse reproductive health outcomes in this population and to assess the influence of patient and treatment-related factors in those outcomes. Methods This prospective observational study included premenopausal women with breast cancer aged 18–40 years at diagnosis and proposed for (neo) adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients were evaluated before, during and a minimum of 9 months after the end of chemotherapy. Reproductive health outcomes: menses, hormonal and ultrasound OR markers, recovery of ovarian function and Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). Results A total of 38 patients were included (mean age 32.9 ± 3.5 years). Levels of OR significantly decreased during the study. At the last follow up, 35 patients had AMH below the expected values for age; eight presented postmenopausal FSH; ten had not recovered their ovarian function and five met the defined criteria for POI. Age and baseline AMH were positively correlated with AMH at the last follow-up. AMH levels were higher in the group of patients treated with trastuzumab and lower in those under hormonal therapy, at the last follow-up. Conclusions Significant effects of systemic treatments on several reproductive outcomes and a strong relation of those outcomes with patient’s age and baseline level of AMH were observed. Our results point to a possible lower gonadotoxicity when treatment includes targeted therapy with trastuzumab. Also, this investigation highlights the lack of reliable OR markers in women under hormonal therapy.

scholarly journals Mental health outcomes of a pilot 2-arm randomized controlled trial of a HIV-prevention program for South African adolescent girls and young women and their female caregivers

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geri Donenberg ◽  
Katherine G. Merrill ◽  
Millicent Atujuna ◽  
Erin Emerson ◽  
Bethany Bray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
South African ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Sexual And Reproductive Health

Abstract Background South African adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) report significant mental distress and sexual and reproductive health concerns. Mental health problems and trauma symptoms are consistently associated with sexual and reproductive health behavior. Despite their intersection, few interventions address them simultaneously or engage female caregivers (FC) as collaborators. This study presents findings from a pilot test of an empirically supported culturally adapted family-based HIV-prevention program, Informed Motivated Aware and Responsible Adolescents and Adults- South Africa (IMARA-SA), on AGYW anxiety, depression, and trauma. Methods Sixty 15–19-year-old AGYW (mean age = 17.1 years) and their FC from outside Cape Town were randomized to IMARA-SA or a health promotion control program. AGYW reported their anxiety using the GAD-7, depression using the PHQ-9, and trauma using the PC-PTSD-5 at baseline and follow-up (6–10 months post). Both interventions were delivered by Xhosa-speaking Black South African women in groups over 2 days for approximately 10 h. We examined intervention effects using zero-inflated negative binomial regression for anxiety, multinomial logistic regression for depression, and logistic regression for trauma. Results At baseline, groups did not differ in demographic characteristics but AGYW randomized to IMARA-SA had higher depression scores than controls (p = 0.04) and a greater proportion screened positive for PTSD (p = .07). Controlling for baseline mental health scores, AGYW who received IMARA-SA compared to controls had significantly fewer anxiety symptoms at follow-up (adjusted incidence rate ratio for count model = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.29–0.99, p = 0.05), were less likely to report at least one depressive symptom relative to no symptoms (relative risk ratio = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.95, p = 0.04), and were less likely to report symptoms of PTSD relative to no symptoms, but this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions Mental health is implicated in risky sexual behavior, and reducing emotional distress can mitigate exposure to poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. This pilot study yielded promising findings for the mental health impact of IMARA-SA, justifying replication in a larger randomized trial. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Number NCT04758390, accepted 17/02/2021.

Discussions Regarding Reproductive Health for Young Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 766-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine M. Duffy ◽  
Susan M. Allen ◽  
Melissa A. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Premature Menopause ◽  
Controlled Clinical Trial ◽  
Early Menopause

Purpose Young women who undergo chemotherapy for breast cancer face serious consequences to their reproductive health. Research in this area has previously focused on men, or on childhood cancer survivors. We sought to explore self-report of reproductive health counseling in young women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Patients and Methods A total of 166 premenopausal women aged ≤ 50 years were recruited from oncology offices in academic and private practices in four northeastern states, as part of a randomized controlled clinical trial aimed at stress reduction. Women were asked a variety of questions regarding diagnosis and treatment, including whether they received any counseling regarding early menopause and fertility issues. Results Sixty-eight percent and 34% of women reported recalling a discussion with a physician regarding early menopause or fertility, respectively. In multivariate analysis, hormonal therapy and early stage of disease were associated with significantly increased odds of recall of a discussion regarding menopause. Difficulty communicating with medical team was associated with increased odds of recalling a discussion regarding fertility, whereas older age and anxiety in medical situations were associated with decreased odds. Conclusion Many women fail to recall discussions regarding the reproductive health impact of chemotherapy. Demographic, psychological, and disease-related variables are related to recalling such discussions. Counseling about premature menopause and fertility changes is an overlooked aspect of preparation for adjuvant chemotherapy in young premenopausal women with breast cancer. Future research should explore this issue further.

Incidence, Time Course, and Determinants of Menstrual Bleeding After Breast Cancer Treatment: A Prospective Study

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1045-1051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne A. Petrek ◽  
Michelle J. Naughton ◽  
L. Douglas Case ◽  
Electra D. Paskett ◽  
Elizabeth Z. Naftalis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Recovery Phase ◽  
Breast Cancer Treatment ◽  
Menstrual Bleeding

Purpose To assess ovarian function using the surrogate of monthly bleeding after breast cancer treatment in premenopausal women. Patients and Methods Five hundred ninety-five US women age 20 to 45 years were accrued from January 1998 to July 2002 within 8 months of diagnosis with stages I to III breast cancer (median follow-up 45 months). Daily bleeding records were obtained prospectively, as well as extensive clinical, demographic, quality of life, and treatment data. Repeated measures logistic regression was used to assess which variables were predictive of monthly bleeding. Results Significantly different proportions of women had monthly bleeding depending on their age (P < .001), chemotherapy program (P < .001), and time since treatment regimen. In the month after the standard course of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC), whether or not followed by paclitaxel or docetaxel, approximately 16% had monthly bleeding compared with the cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil (CMF) group, in which 48% bled (P < .001). Following any AC regimen, there was a slow recovery phase of about 9 months followed by a plateau, during which almost half continued monthly bleeding for the remainder of the follow-up period compared with after CMF in which there was no recovery phase and a continual decline in monthly bleeding to approximately 18% of women at study end (P < .001). Tamoxifen use decreased bleeding between months 12 and 24 after chemotherapy with 15% fewer women having bleeding. Conclusion Using daily menstrual bleeding records, it is demonstrated that age, the specific chemotherapy regimen received, and tamoxifen use impact ovarian function.

scholarly journals Diagnostic and predictive accuracy of anti-mullerian hormone for ovarian function after chemotherapy in premenopausal women with early breast cancer

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Anderson ◽  
Tom W. Kelsey ◽  
Anne Perdrix ◽  
Nathalie Olympios ◽  
Orianne Duhamel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Diagnostic Accuracy ◽  
Early Breast Cancer ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Predictive Accuracy ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Future Fertility ◽  
Forest Models ◽  
Random Forest Models ◽  
Pre Treatment

Abstract Purpose Accurate diagnosis and prediction of loss of ovarian function after chemotherapy for premenopausal women with early breast cancer (eBC) is important for future fertility and clinical decisions regarding the need for subsequent adjuvant ovarian suppression. We have investigated the value of anti-mullerian hormone (AMH) as serum biomarker for this. Methods AMH was measured in serial blood samples from 206 premenopausal women aged 40–45 years with eBC, before and at intervals after chemotherapy. The diagnostic accuracy of AMH for loss of ovarian function at 30 months after chemotherapy and the predictive value for that of AMH measurement at 6 months were analysed. Results Undetectable AMH showed a high diagnostic accuracy for absent ovarian function at 30 months with AUROC 0.89 (96% CI 0.84–0.94, P < 0.0001). PPV of undetectable AMH at 6 months for a menopausal estradiol level at 30 months was 0.77. In multivariate analysis age, pre-treatment AMH and FSH, and taxane treatment were significant predictors, and combined with AMH at 6 months, gave AUROC of 0.90 (95% CI 0.86–0.94), with PPV 0.79 for loss of ovarian function at 30 months. Validation by random forest models with 30% data retained gave similar results. Conclusions AMH is a reliable diagnostic test for lack of ovarian function after chemotherapy in women aged 40–45 with eBC. Early analysis of AMH after chemotherapy allows identification of women who will not recover ovarian function with good accuracy. These analyses will help inform treatment decisions regarding adjuvant endocrine therapy in women who were premenopausal before starting chemotherapy.

scholarly journals Local Recurrence in Young Women with Breast Cancer: Breast Conserving Therapy vs. Mastectomy Alone

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dang Van Nguyen ◽  
Sang-Won Kim ◽  
Young-Taek Oh ◽  
O Kyu Noh ◽  
Yongsik Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Local Recurrence ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Young Patients ◽  
Breast Conserving Therapy ◽  
Systemic Treatments

Abstract We compared cumulative incidence of local recurrence in young patients (≤ 40 years) with breast cancer between breast conserving therapy (BCT) and mastectomy alone. Among 428 women with early-stage breast cancer treated between 2001 and 2012, 311 underwent BCT and 117 underwent mastectomy alone. Adjuvant systemic treatments were administered to 409 patients (95.6%). We compared the cumulative incidence of LR and survival rates between two groups. During a median follow-up period of 91 months, the 10-year cumulative incidence of LR was 9.3% (median interval of 36.5 months from surgery). Patients treated with BCT tended to have a higher risk for local recurrence (11.1% for BCT vs. 4.1% for mastectomy alone, p = 0.078). All patients with isolated LR after BCT (n = 23) underwent salvage mastectomy followed by systemic treatments. The 5-year distant metastasis-free survival and overall survival of patients with isolated LR after BCT were 44.2% and 82.2%, respectively. The BCT group exhibited approximately a 2.5-fold higher risk of LR than mastectomy alone group. Patients with isolated LR after BCT showed poor prognosis despite undergoing aggressive salvage treatments. More effective long-term follow-up strategies should be established to reduce LR for improving prognosis and preserving cosmetic outcomes in young women.

Endocrine Treatment of Breast Cancer: Current Perspectives, Future Directions

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (03) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tazia Irfan ◽  
Mainul Haque ◽  
Sayeeda Rahman ◽  
Russell Kabir ◽  
Nuzhat Rahman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Estrogen Receptor ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Effective Control ◽  
Endocrine Treatment ◽  
Estrogen Production ◽  
Hormone Sensitive

Breast cancer remains one of the major causes of death in women, and endocrine treatment is currently one of the mainstay of treatment in patients with estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Endocrine therapy either slows down or stops the growth of hormone-sensitive tumors by blocking the body’s capability to yield hormones or by interfering with hormone action. In this paper, we intended to review various approaches of endocrine treatments for breast cancer highlighting successes and limitations. There are three settings where endocrine treatment of breast cancer can be used: neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or metastatic. Several strategies have also been developed to treat hormone-sensitive breast cancer which include ovarian ablation, blocking estrogen production, and stopping estrogen effects. Selective estrogen-receptor modulators (SERMs) (e.g. tamoxifen and raloxifene), aromatase inhibitors (AIs) (e.g. anastrozole, letrozole and exemestane), gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH) (e.g. goserelin), and selective estrogen receptor downregulators (SERDs) (e.g. fulvestrant) are currently used drugs to treat breast cancer. Tamoxifen is probably the first targeted therapy widely used in breast cancer treatment which is considered to be very effective as first line endocrine treatment in previously untreated patients and also can be used after other endocrine therapy and chemotherapy. AIs inhibit the action of enzyme aromatase which ultimately decrease the production of estrogen to stimulate the growth of ER+ breast cancer cells. GnRH agonists suppress ovarian function, inducing artificial menopause in premenopausal women. Endocrine treatments are cheap, well-tolerated and have a fixed single daily dose for all ages, heights and weights of patients. Endocrine treatments are not nearly as toxic as chemotherapy and frequent hospitalization can be avoided. New drugs in preliminary trials demonstrated the potential for improvement of the efficacy of endocrine therapy including overcoming resistance. However, the overall goals for breast cancer including endocrine therapy should focus on effective control of cancer, design personalized medical therapeutic approach, increase survival time and quality of life, and improve supportive and palliative care for end-stage disease.

scholarly journals The Modern Landscape of Endocrine Therapy for Premenopausal Women with Breast Cancer

Breast Care ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 312-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Rossi ◽  
Olivia Pagani
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Endocrine Therapy ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Endocrine Resistance ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Ovarian Function Suppression

The optimal endocrine therapy for premenopausal women with early and advanced breast cancer still remains an important and controversial issue. For over 30 years, tamoxifen has been the gold standard in the adjuvant setting. New therapeutic options, such as the addition of ovarian function suppression to oral endocrine therapy (either tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors), can improve outcomes over tamoxifen alone in well-selected patients. Treatment duration has also been revisited, and extended therapy is becoming a new standard of care, especially in high-risk patients. Endocrine therapy for advanced disease still represents a challenge and a research priority. New drugs and combinations able to overcome endocrine resistance are at the horizon, and their role in premenopausal women should be better elucidated. Side effects and quality of life (including family planning considerations) play an important role in treatment selection and in the patients' treatment adherence and should always be discussed before start of treatment. The paper will specifically focus on how to integrate all new treatment options in the current armamentarium of endocrine therapy of premenopausal women, with the aim of best fine-tuning treatment selections according to the individual risk/benefit evaluation.

scholarly journals Fertility preservation and decisional regret in young breast cancer survivors: A longitudinal analysis.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 106-106
Author(s):  
Samantha Rose Dewald ◽  
Loki Natarajan ◽  
Irene Su
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Fertility Preservation ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Breast Cancer Survivors ◽  
Ovarian Function ◽  
Future Fertility ◽  
Young Breast Cancer ◽  
Decisional Regret ◽  
Over Time

106 Background: Fertility is important to many young breast cancer survivors (YBCS), who face difficult decisions on whether to undergo fertility preservation prior to treatment. Because few longitudinal data assessing decisional regret are available, the objectives of this study were to assess longitudinal changes in decisional regret on fertility preservation following breast cancer diagnosis; determine if fertility preservation treatment decisions are related to decreased decisional regret. Methods: From 3 academic breast cancer programs, 169 YBCS younger than age 45 were recruited at diagnosis between 2009 and 2012 and followed prospectively for ovarian function. Participants completed questionnaires on fertility preservation choices and the Decisional Regret Scale (DRS) during study visits every 6 months for up to 5 years. DRS is scored 0 (no regret) to 100 (highest regret). DRS was dichotomized as none versus any decisional regret. Generalized linear models estimated the change in DRS over time and the association between patient characteristics and DRS. Results: Mean age at diagnosis was 38.7 (SD 4.8). Median total follow-up was 176 days (IQR 84 to 1415 days). Enrollment DRS was available for 89 women; 48% reported decisional regret about fertility preservation (median DRS=20). Participants worried about future fertility were more likely to report decisional regret (p=0.009). 31% underwent fertility preservation, but this was not associated with decisional regret (p=0.65). In repeated measures analysis for the entire cohort, no significant change in DRS occurred over this time period (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.4-1.7). Worry about future fertility remained significantly associated with DRS over time (OR 55.1, 95% CI 7.7-395.1). Conclusions: In a cohort of YBCS, experiencing decisional regret about fertility preservation persists for years after diagnosis. Those worried about future fertility are more likely to experience decisional regret regarding fertility preservation.

scholarly journals The role of hormonal ovarian ablation in adjuvant treatment of premenopausal breast cancer

2011 ◽  
Vol 139 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 339-346
Author(s):  
Zafir Murtezani ◽  
Zora Neskovic-Konstantinovic ◽  
Natasa Stanisavljevic ◽  
Vladimir Kovcin
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Hormonal Therapy ◽  
Steroid Receptors ◽  
Premenopausal Women ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Malignant Tumours ◽  
Group 13 ◽  
Ovarian Ablation ◽  
Fac Chemotherapy ◽  
Lh Rh

Introduction. Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant disease in women with about 25% compared to all malignant tumours. Chemotherapy, antiestrogen and ovarian ablation/ supression present effective adjuvant approach for premenopausal women diagnosed with hormonal depended, operable breast cancer. Objective. To evaluate benefits of combined chemo/hormonal therapy that is undutiful, but optimal application has not yet been clearly determined. Methods. Thirty-six women were divided into three therapy groups. The first group (13 women) was treated with six cycles of adjuvant FAC chemotherapy followed by regular check-ups; the second group (13 women) after six cycles of adjuvant FAC chemotherapy continued treatment with a two-year application of goserelin given by subcutaneous injections (FAC-Z); the third group (10 women), after six cycles of adjuvant FAC chemotherapy continued with once per month application of gorselin for two years and a daily application of 20 mg tamoxifen for five years (FAC-Z-T). The length of overall disease free period and survival were analyzed in all three groups. Results. The benefit of LH-RH analogues in premenopausal women with hormone-dependent breast cancer was found to be low, and probably limited to smaller subgroups of patients, possibly such as those with either both steroid receptors positive (ER and PR) or those with an extremely high level of steroid receptors. In our paper, analyses of such subgroups could not been performed due to a small sample of patients. The effect of therapy is better in patients, who developed amenorrhoea, regardless of the type of later hormonal therapy. Conclusion. Ovarial ablation, whatever the method, should be probably applied as early as possible within the treatment of early breast cancer, especially in patients in whom chemotherapy induced amenorrhoea is not expected, i.e. in very young female patients.

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