4 October 2009
Scientists uncovered a biological mechanism that explains why cancer treatments can trigger a premature menopause.But they also found that the process can be blocked by a drug called imatinib (also known as Glivec), which is normally given to leukaemia patients.
The discovery brings new hope to women with cancer facing the devastating prospect of never being able to have children naturally.
Although a woman's eggs can be removed and frozen before chemotherapy for later attempts at In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment, this approach is not always successful.
The research is still at an early stage, but the Italian scientists believe their findings have "considerable medical implications".
They are now calling for the work to be followed up in preparation for testing the treatment on patients.
A number of hurdles remained to be crossed before trying out the treatment on human patients, said the researchers.
In particular it was "crucial" to show that imatinib maintains fertility while not interfering with the anti-cancer effects of chemotherapy.
Imatinib, developed in the late 1990s and marketed by the pharmaceutical company Novartis, was the first in a new class of precisely targeted anti-cancer drugs. One of its biggest advantages is that it does not cause the harsh side effects of many other anti-cancer agents.
The drug was licensed in the UK as a treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia in 2001 and for Gastro-Intestinal Stromal Tumour (Gist), a type of stomach cancer, earlier this year.