A new method for the induction of therapeutic amenorrhea: Low dose endometrial afterloading irradiation. Clinical and hormonal studies

Abstract

The authors present a new method for the induction of therapeutic amenorrhea: low dose endometrial afterloading irradiation. The problem with this method has been how to inactivate the endometrium while maintaining the physiological function of the ovaries. In 5/29 young patients regular or irregular bleedings occurred after an endometrial dose of 11 +/- 1 Gy. These subjects were given a repeat low dose intrauterine irradiation. Thereafter no bleedings were found in four out of five patients. Two to 9 years after the repeat irradiation the plasma levels of E1, E2, FSH and LH corresponded closely to those of healthy women in reproductive age in three out of five patients; some high plasma P levels indicated ovulation. In two patients the E1, E2 and P values were more likely postmenopausal but, on the other hand, FSH and LH values reproductive ones. The endocrinological studies after one irradiation [5] and the medico-legal [15] and neuropsychiatric [17] aspects relevant to the method are presented elsewhere.

A Comparison of Clinical Results Following High Dose‐Rate Intracavitary Afterloading Irradiation with Co60 (Cathetron) and Conventional Radium Therapy for St. I‐II Endometrial Carcinoma

“…The application of the C afterloading unit to gynaecological use generally, its biochemical effects, and dose distri- bution measurements, have been described previously elsewhere (10,11,12,14,15,16,39,58) as well as in the present detailed description of the methods (Page 11). In intrauterine treatment, catheters and sources 3 or 4 were usually used; in vaginal therapy, catheters and sources 6 and 8 in the specialvaginal prosthesis 6 (49,51,58).…”

High Versus Low Dose‐Rate Intracavitary Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Carcinoma of the Uterus

“…Cathetron has now been in clinical use in Turku for 10 years in parallell with radium. The main indications for the Cathetron treatment in Turku have been cervical carcinoma St. 1-111, endometrial carcinoma associated with a small uterine cavity, vaginal carcinoma and some benign diseases such as functional premenopausal bleeding (24,25,26,27,28,29,72,88,89,90,91,92). The Cathetron has now replaced radium as the treatment of choice of uterine carcinoma in our clinic (Fig.…”

Therapeutic Amenorrhoea Induced by Endometrial Irradiation Technique in Mentally Retarded Women: Neuropsychiatric Aspects

“…Irradiation with radium requires lengthy treatment and thus is not suitable for mentally retarded women. We have therefore developed another mode of intrauterine radiation therapy, using radioactive cobalt (""Co) as the radiation source in a special Cathetron after-loading unit (Gronroos et aL, 1982). The endocrinological studies after the irradiation (one, or occasionally, repeated) are presented elsewhere (Gronroos et aL, 1981).…”