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Table 2 Summary of studies with longitudinal follow-up of serum AMH levels in young women undergoing chemotherapy (CT) for adult cancer

From: Serum AMH level as a marker of acute and long-term effects of chemotherapy on the ovarian follicular content: a systematic review

Study

Cancer

Treatment

Age (range)

Times of AMH measurement

Number of patients

Conclusions about AMH follow up

Anderson, 2006 [[28]]

Early stage breast cancer

7 protocols all including alkylating agents

41 (28–52)

Before CT, every 3 months during CT

56

-Significant fall of AMH levels 3 months after the start of CT.

      

-Undetectable values of AMH in most patients at the end of CT.

      

-Different degrees of gonadotoxicity according to protocols.

Anders, 2008 [27]

Early stage breast cancer

Anthracycline, cyclophosphamide and taxane

40 (21–51)

Before CT, 3 to 6 weeks post CT, 6 months and year post CT

38

-Undetectable values of AMH in most patients at the end of CT and one year post-CT.

      

-Pre-CT AMH levels lower among women who became amenorrheic compared to those who resumed menses.

Decanter, 2010 [24]

Lymphoma

Alkylating or non Alkylating regimens

24 (18–32)

Before CT, 15 days after first cycle, 15 days before last cycle, every 3 months after CT until 1 year

30 (17 non alkylating protocol, 13 alkylating protocol)

No difference between protocols regarding the depletion phase:

-Acute fall of AMH as soon as 15 days after the start of CT.

-Undetectable values of AMH at the end of CT in both protocols.

Different recovery phases according to protocol:

-Very low or undetectable AMH levels in the alkylating group 1 year post-CT.

      

-Return to pre-treatment values of AMH as soon as the 6th month of follow-up in the non-alkylating group.

Rosendahl, 2010 [53]

Lymphoma, Breast cancer, Ewing sarcoma

7 different protocols

30 (19–35)

Before CT, one week after each CT or every 2 weeks until 16 weeks of treatment, once a month until one year after first CT

17 (13 alkylating protocol, 4 non alkylating protocol)

-Acute fall of AMH levels as soon as one week after the first cycle of CT.

-Undetectable values of AMH in most patients at the end of CT.

      

-Significantly lower AMH one year after the end of CT in case of alkytlating protocols than in case of non alkylating ones.

Yu, 2010 [29]

Breast cancer

3 different protocols all including alkylating agents

37 (27–40)

Before CT, 6, 12, 36 and 52 weeks after first CT

26

-Significant fall of AMH levels 6 weeks after the start of CT.

-Undetectable values of AMH in most patients at the end of CT.

      

-Undetectable AMH levels in all patient but one 52 weeks after first CT.

Anderson, 2011 [25]

Early stage breast cancer

7 protocols all including alkylating agents

41 (28,6-52,7)

Before CT, 2,3,4 and 5 years post CT

42

-Lower serum AMH levels, 2–5 years after CT, than pretreatment ones.

-Undetectable AMH in most women, 2–5 years post-CT.

      

-Pretreatment AMH level is strongly predictive of long term ovarian function after CT.

Dillon, 2013 [52]

Different types of cancer

Different protocols

26,1 (15 – 35,9)

Before CT, Every 3 month during and after treatment

46 (33 alkylating protocol)

Difference between protocols regarding the depletion phase:

-Significant fall of AMH levels 3 months after initiation of CT in alkylating and non-alkylating groups

-Lower AMH at the end of treatment with alkylating agents compared with unexposed participants

Different recovery phases according to protocol and to pretreatment AMH level:

-Rate of recovery of AMH 9 months after CT higher in non alkylating protocol than in alkylating protocol

      

-Rate of recovery of AMH 9 months after CT higher when pre-treatment AMH was >2 ng/ml than when it was ≤ 2 ng/m

Anderson, 2013 [26]

Early stage breast cancer

8 protocols, 7 including alkylating agents

42,6 (23,3–52,5)

Before CT, after 1 or 2 cycles of CT, 1 and 2 years post CT

59

-Significant fall of AMH after 1 cycle of CT.

-Undetectable values of AMH in most patients after 2 or more cycles of CT and at 1 year post CT.

      

-Pretreatment AMH level is strongly predictive of post CT ovarian function (menses) at 1 and 2 years post CT.

Henry, 2013 [51]

Breast cancer

5 protocols all including alkylating agents except for 1 patient

41 (25–50)

Before CT, 1 month post CT, 1 year post CT.

27

-Undetectable values of AMH in all patients 1 month post CT.

      

-Undetectable AMH levels in most women 1 year post CT.