A drug could prevent early menopause in women being treated for breast cancer.
Medical researchers found the risk of early menopause can be significantly reduced if the drug goserelin is added to the chemotherapy regimen, a Loyola University Health System news release reported.
Goserelin works to put the ovaries "at rest" while the patient is undergoing chemotherapy.
"We found that, in addition to reducing the risk of early menopause, and all of the symptoms that go along with menopause, goserelin was very safe and may even improve survival. I think these findings are going to change our clinical practice," Kathy Albain, MD, of Loyola University Medical Center is senior author of the study, said in the news release.
The researchers looked at premenopausal women under the age of 50 who had estrogen and progesterone receptor negative breast cancer.
After two years 45 percent of the 131 patients receiving standard chemotherapy stopped menstruating or had elevated hormone levels, only 20 percent of the 126 women who also took goserelin experienced early symptoms of menopause.
After four years 89 percent of the patients who took goserelin were cancer-free compared to 78 percent in the control group.
"Premenopausal women beginning chemotherapy for early breast cancer should consider this new option to prevent premature ovarian failure," Albain said.
The drug is administered through an injection. Women in the study received one shot every four weeks.
Breast cancer chemotherapy can trigger menopause, even in women in their 20s. After chemotherapy is stopped some women resume menstruation and are even able to have children, but the effect can be permanent in many cases.
Menopause that is triggered by chemotherapy usually comes on suddenly and has more intense symptoms than if it were to occur naturally.
"Early menopause in younger breast cancer patients can be very debilitating," Albain said.
