Im. Holdaway et al., CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MENSTRUAL-CYCLE AT THE TIME OF SURGERY FOR BREAST-CANCER, British Journal of Cancer, 75(3), 1997, pp. 413-416
Hormone measurements during the menstrual cycle were assessed in six p
remenopausal women undergoing breast cancer surgery and ten controls t
o determine whether the stress of diagnosis and surgery influenced cyc
le characteristics. There was hormonal evidence for normal ovulation i
n all cancer and control women, although the length of the luteal phas
e of the cycle was prolonged because of a delay in menstruation in two
cancer patients. The timing of surgery in the cycle did not influence
the hormonal data. The hormonal characteristics of the menstrual cycl
e thus appear to be normally preserved in women during the month in wh
ich breast cancer surgery is performed.