BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND AMENORRHEA IN PREMENOPAUSAL BREAST CANCER PATIENTS (PBC) TREATED WITH ADJUVANT ANTRACYCLINE AND CYCLOPHOSPAMIDE CHEMOTHERAPY (CT)

Background and aims: Amenorrhea often occurs during chemotherapy and it may reduce fertility and cause menopausal symptoms.The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of CT-related amenorrhea (CRA) among breast cancer patients following adjuvant chemotherapy and the influence of their BMI. Methods: In this retrospective study we evaluated 18 PBC patients (pts), 43 median age years, treated with 6 cycles of adjuvant anthracycline-cyclophosphamide. BMI was evaluated in all women. Overall population (OP) had regular menstrual cycle (MC) and nobody began hormone therapy, at the same time. Results: Fifteen pts (83%) experienced amenorrhea during CT; the interruption of MC appeared during the first three cycles of CT in about 67% of pts and particularly 4 pts (27%) after 1 cycle, 4 pts (27%) after 2 cycles, 2 pts (13%) after 3 cycles e 5 pts (33%) in subsequent cycles. In OP, 14 pts (78%) had BMI<24.9 and 4 pts (22%) had BMI>25. MC reappeared at the end of CT in only 2 pts (13%), with a median age of 43 years and BMI<24.9. Three pts (17%) have not amenorrhea during CT; the median age was 34 years and BMI<24.9. Conclusions: In our small experience CRA occurs very frequently. Its incidence and persistence was higher in patients older than 40 years than in younger patients. BMI did not influence occurrence of amenorrhea.