Changes in ovarian function in premenopausal women with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant TC (docetaxel and cyclophosphamide) chemotherapy during a brief period of amenorrhea around the last chemotherapy cycle

PURPOSE: Docetaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent, induces high rates of transient chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA) when used as adjuvant chemotherapy for premenopausal women with breast cancer. Clinical laboratory data to assess the hormonal environment implicated in inducing transient CIA was assessed. METHODS: An observational study was conducted in 35 premenopausal women with hormone-responsive breast cancer who were receiving adjuvant docetaxel/cyclophosphamide (TC) chemotherapy. Serum estradiol and follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were measured at one (n = 6) or two (n = 29) time point(s) around the completion of chemotherapy. RESULTS: As early as week 6 after the start of chemotherapy, just before the third TC cycle, serum estradiol levels were invariably suppressed (median of 5.5 pg/ml, n = 15, range <5–18.7 pg/ml) and FSH levels increased (median of 63.9 mIU/ml, range 24.5–127.4 mIU/ml), indicative of ovarian suppression to the menopausal levels. Subsequently, at 9 and 12 weeks, serum estradiol levels were suppressed to a median of 6.6 pg/ml (n = 49, range <5–17.3 pg/ml), while FSH levels were high (median of 66.8 mIU/ml, range 29.2–134.5 mIU/ml). There was a significant Spearman’s correlation (ρ = 0.95, n = 29, p < 0.01) of high serum FSH levels (24.5–134.5 mIU/ml) between two time points of repeated measurements in 29 patients. TC chemotherapy induced rapid ovarian suppression with the formation of a high and stable plateau in serum FSH levels from week 6 to week 12. CONCLUSIONS: Recovery from transient CIA post-therapy may be partially attributed to high, stable FSH levels that occurred as early as after completion of the second TC chemotherapy cycle.