Chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea, menopause-specific quality of life, and endocrine profiles in premenopausal women with breast cancer who received adjuvant anthracycline-based chemotherapy: a prospective cohort study

Purpose We conducted a prospective observational study for premenopausal women receiving adjuvant adriamycin and cyclophosphamide-containing regimens to define the pattern of chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea (CIA), the menopause-specific quality of life (MENQOL), and the hormone profiles. Methods From October 2003 to July 2007, 387 patients with breast cancer who underwent curative surgery were prospectively included. Patient self-assessment by MENQOL questionnaires and blood samples for hormone assays were taken before chemotherapy, and 1, 6, and 12 months after chemotherapy was completed. Results Patients were categorized into three groups according to their duration and reversibility of amenorrhea, with 312 eligible patients split into long-term CIA ( n = 180, 57.7 %), temporary CIA ( n = 113, 36.2 %), and menstrual irregularity ( n = 19, 6.1 %) groups. Risk factors for long-term CIA were identified as age ≥40 years ( p