What is Ovarian Suppression?

One strategy which has been suggested to help protect the ovaries of women who are about to undergo chemotherapy involves the administration of certain types of drugs called GNRH agonists. The most commonly used one is called Lupron, which in essence can put the ovaries to sleep, can put the patient, before her chemotherapy starts, in a menopausal state. The ovaries actually become physically smaller and from an endocrine standpoint, become quiescent. It was thought that perhaps by doing so, the ovary would be less likely to be damaged by chemotherapy.

The Lupron does have some significant side effects: it will often cause hot flashes and fairly significant mood swings, and it is also fairly expensive. The scientific evidence that the Lupron actually has a beneficial effect in this regard is still fairly scanty. There are some reports which suggest the Lupron may be of benefit in certain cases. But the conclusive science that would be required of us to recommend its use at this point is still lacking. Although, studies are currently underway to more carefully explore how useful drugs like Lupron will be for protecting ovaries from chemotherapy.