Follicular and Luteal Dysfunction in Cancer Survivors

Women with a reduced follicular pool either from natural aging or previous chemotherapy, may not have any clinical signs or symptoms and traditional measures of ovarian reserve, such as basal Follicle Stimulating Hormone may be within the normal range. However, there may be alterations in the luteal or follicular phases(shortened follicular phase and luteal insufficiency) due to compromised follicle competency and alterations in the H-P-O axis. Therefore this aim uses novel methodology to identify subtle changes in the reproductive endocrine axis which may have important implications for reproduction and may signal reproductive senescence. Compared to yearly follicular measures of reproductive hormones, daily urine hormone analysis provides a more integrative assessment.

Three groups of subjects will be recruited:

Group 1: Otherwise healthy, mid-reproductive aged women between the ages of 20 and 35 years previously exposed to high dose alkylating agent therapy (or have an alkylator score of 1 or more), and at least 1 year from cancer treatment.

Group 2: healthy, mid-reproductive aged women between the ages of 20 to 35 who have not been exposed to cancer therapy.

Group 3: healthy, late reproductive aged women between the ages of 43-50 who have not been exposed to cancer therapy, nor have a history of infertility.