Abstrakt

Premature ovarian insufficiency and fragility vertebral fracture following surgery and radiation therapy for pelvic leiomyosarcoma in a young woman

Paola Villa, Inbal Dona Amar, Clelia Cipolla, Giovanni Scambia

Although radical cancer therapies result in improvements for long-term survival, several cancer treatments that induce gonadotoxicity may put young women at risk of premature ovarian insufficiency. On the other hand, radiotherapy may result in severe impairment of bone metabolism. A 37-year-old woman underwent a surgical treatment for a retroperitoneal mesenchymal high-grade pelvic neoplasm. The retroperitoneal mass removal with preservation of the uterus and ovaries was followed by radiation therapy. After 1 year the patient showed premature ovarian insufficiency and pelvic vertebral fracture. This case emphasizes the importance of the evaluation of bone metabolism in patients who undergo cancer treatments even more if they are young and undergo possible radiation therapy.