Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in premenopausal breast cancer patients treated with taxane-based adjuvant chemotherapy - A translational research project of the SUCCESS A study

BACKGROUND: Premenopausal women undergoing chemotherapy are at high risk for premature ovarian failure and its long-term consequences. Data on potential markers to evaluate ovarian reserve pre- and posttreatment are limited. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) known for ovarian reserve in reproductive medicine could be a surrogate marker and was assessed in premenopausal breast cancer patients of the SUCCESS A study (EUDRA-CT no. 2005-000490-21).

METHODS: We identified 170 premenopausal patients, age ≤ 40 years at trial entry, who received FEC-Doc as taxane-anthracylince based chemotherapy. Blood samples were taken at three time points: Before, four weeks after and two years after adjuvant chemotherapy. Serum AMH-levels were evaluated in a central laboratory by a quantitative immunoassay AMH Gen II ELISA (Beckman Coulter, Brea, USA).

RESULTS: Median age was 36 years (21-40 years). Median serum AMH-level before chemotherapy was 1.37 ng/ml (range < 0.1-11.3 ng/ml). Four weeks after chemotherapy AMH-levels dropped in 98.6% of the patients to <0.1 ng/ml (range < 0.1-0.21 ng/ml). After two years, 73.3% (n = 101) showed no evidence of ovarian function recovery (AMH <0.1 ng/ml, range < 0.1-3.9 ng/ml). Permanent chemotherapy induced amenorrhea occurred only in 50.6% of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis, premenopausal patients showed a high rate of ovarian impairment reflected by low AMH-levels after chemotherapy.