The Incidence of Chemotherapy-induced Amenorrhea and Recovery in Young (<45-year-old) Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Purpose: Although adjuvant chemotherapy improves the survival of premenopausal breast cancer patients, it could induce the premature menopause. The objective of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors of chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA) and recovery for young ( 30 mIU/mL. Results: A total of 324 patients were included in this study. Of these patients, 261 patients (80.6%) developed amenorrhea just after the completion of chemotherapy. During follow-up, 77 patients (29.5%) resumed menstruation. Amenorrhea rates at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after chemotherapy were 72.2%, 66.6%, 58.1%, and 55.5%. Women who recovered from amenorrhea were significantly younger than the women who did not recover (p<0.001). Patients treated with cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) less frequently recovered from amenorrhea than patients who were treated with anthracycline or taxane-based chemo- therapy (p<0.001). Conclusion: The age of the patient was the most important factor for the development of CIA. Patients treated with a CMF regimen and older patients showed poor recovery from CIA. These results could be helpful to make decisions about the treatment strategies for premenopausal young women.