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Cytotoxic anticancer treatment may induce amenorrhea or menopause to a variable extent. These side effects may not only impair or impede fertility but also cause sexual dysfunction, bone loss, and menopausal symptoms, with a strikingly negative effect on quality of life in many women. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are a recommended adjuvant endocrine treatment option in postmenopausal patients affected by early breast cancer (EBC) but are contraindicated in premenopausal women and in those with residual ovarian function. Women over 40 years of age with chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA) and routine hormonal levels consistent with menopause may receive an AI as adjuvant endocrine treatment. For these women, the tools available to identify menopause do not appear to be completely reliable. This review focused on the pathophysiology of ovarian toxicity induced by cytotoxic agents and on potentially useful methods to diagnose chemotherapy-induced menopause in patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy for endocrine-responsive EBC. Moreover, practical approaches are proposed to distinguish true menopausal women, who would benefit from AIs, from those with transient or persistent CIA.

OBJECTIVE: To describe demographic and hormonal characteristics, co-morbidities (diabetes mellitus and hypertension), therapeutic procedures and their effectiveness, as well as predictors of morbidity and mortality in a nation-wide survey of Italian acromegalic patients. DESIGN: Retrospective multicentre epidemiological study endorsed by the Italian Society of Endocrinology and performed in 24 tertiary referral Italian centers . The mean follow-up time was 120 months. RESULTS: A total of 1512 patients, 41% M, mean age: 45±13 years, mean GH: 31±37 mcg/L, IGF-I: 744±318 ng/ml, were included. Diabetes mellitus was reported in 16% of cases, hypertension in 33%. Older age and higher IGF-I levels at diagnosis were significant predictors of diabetes and hypertension. At the last follow-up, 65% of patients had a controlled disease, of whom 55% were off medical therapy. Observed deaths were 61, with a standardized mortality ratio (SMR) of 1.13 (IC95%: 0.87-1.46). Mortality was significantly higher in the patients with persistently active disease (1.93; IC95%: 1.34-2.70). Main causes of death were vascular diseases and malignancies with similar prevalence. A multivariate analysis showed that older age, higher GH at last follow-up, higher IGF-I levels at diagnosis, malignancy and radiotherapy were independent predictors of mortality.Conclusions. Pre-treatment IGF-I levels are important predictors of morbidity and mortality in acromegaly. The full hormonal control of the disease, nowadays reached in the majority of patients with modern management, reduces greatly the disease-related mortality.