Another danger of chemotherapy

According to the Mayo Clinic, the incidence of lung cancer among men decreased by 32%, while among women it increased by 94%, displacing breast cancer from the position of the leading cause of female mortality among cancers.

A new study suggests that the use of chemotherapy in the treatment of lung cancer can negatively affect women's reproductive health. The project involved 182 fertile women under the age of 50 who were diagnosed with lung cancer (the average age of diagnosis is 43 years).

Scientists recorded data on what treatment patients receive, as well as their reproductive status. A year after the start of treatment, 64% of 85 women undergoing chemotherapy reported the onset of menopause, while among 94 patients receiving other treatment, only 15% reported a change in their reproductive status.

Thus, chemotherapy aimed at treating lung cancer entails the same risk of fertility loss as in the treatment of breast cancer or lymphoma. This means that women need to be informed about the risks associated with their reproductive health before prescribing chemotherapy, as well as offer them alternative treatment options and fertility preservation (cryopreservation of eggs and embryos).

Article by Cathcart-Rake et al. Amenorrhoea after lung cancer treatment in Menopause.

Anastasia Poznyak, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru / based on the materials of The North American Menopause Society Chemotherapy May Lead to Early Menopause in Young Women With Lung Cancer.