Premenopausal patients with breast cancer receiving goserelin simultaneously with modern neoadjuvant chemotherapy did not experience statistically significantly less amenorrhea 6 months after end of chemotherapy compared with those receiving chemotherapy alone.

Replacing GnRH agonist cotreatment for the prevention of a premature rise in LH during ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) by the late follicular phase administration of GnRH antagonist may render supplementation of the luteal phase redundant, because of the known rapid recovery of pituitary function after antagonist cessation. This randomized two-center study was performed to compare nonsupplemented luteal phase characteristics after three different strategies for inducing final oocyte maturation. Forty patients underwent ovarian stimulation using recombinant (r-)FSH (150 IU/d, fixed) combined with a GnRH antagonist (antide; 1 mg/d) during the late follicular phase. When at least one follicle above 18 mm was observed, patients were randomized to induce oocyte maturation by a single injection of either r-human (h)CG (250 microg) (n = 11), r-LH (1 mg) (n = 13), or GnRH agonist (triptorelin; 0.2 mg) (n = 15). Retrieved oocytes were fertilized by either IVF or intracytoplasmatic sperm injection, depending on sperm quality. Embryo transfer was performed 3-4 d after oocyte retrieval. No luteal support was provided. Serum concentrations of FSH, LH, estradiol (E(2)), progesterone (P), and hCG were assessed at fixed intervals during the follicular and luteal phase. The median duration of the luteal phase was 13, 10, and 9 d for the r-hCG, the r-LH, and the GnRH agonist group, respectively (P = 0.005). The median area under the curve per day (from 4 d post randomization until the onset of menses) for LH was 0.50, 2.34, and 1.07 for the r-hCG, the r-LH, and the GnRH agonist group, respectively (P = 0.001). The median area under the curve per day for P was 269 vs. 41 and 16 for the r-hCG, the r-LH, and the GnRH agonist group, respectively (P < 0.001). Low pregnancy rates (overall, 7.5%; range, 0-18% per started cycle) were observed in all groups. In conclusion, the nonsupplemented luteal phase was insufficient in all three groups. In the patients receiving r-hCG, the luteal phase was less disturbed, compared with both other groups, presumably because of prolonged clearance of hCG from the circulation and the resulting extended support of the corpus luteum. Despite high P and E(2) concentrations during the early luteal phase in all three groups, luteolysis started prematurely, presumably because of excessive negative steroid feedback resulting in suppressed pituitary LH release. Hence, support of corpus luteum function remains mandatory after ovarian stimulation for IVF with GnRH antagonist cotreatment.

Compared with earlier years, the reported number of ART cycles in Europe increased and the pregnancy rates increased marginally, even though fewer embryos were transferred and the multiple delivery rates were reduced.

In those 15 countries where all clinics reported to the register, a total of 284 765 cycles were performed in a population of 278.7 million, corresponding to 1022 cycles per million inhabitants. For IVF, the clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and per transfer were 26.1 and 29.6%, respectively. For ICSI, the corresponding rates were 26.5 and 28.7%. After IUI-H, the clinical pregnancy rate was 12.2% in women below 40 years and 8.8% in women > or =40 years. After IVF and ICSI, the distribution of transfer of one, two, three and four or more embryos was 15.7, 55.9, 24.9 and 3.5%, respectively. Compared to the year 2002, fewer embryos were transferred, but huge differences still exist between countries. The distribution of singleton, twin and triplet deliveries for IVF and ICSI combined was 76.7, 22.0 and 1.1%, respectively. This gives a total multiple delivery rate of 23.1% compared with 24.5% in 2002. The range of triplet deliveries after IVF and ICSI varied from 0.0 to 4.4% between countries. After IUI-H in women below 40 years of age, 11.4% were twin and 2.2% triplet gestations.

Background State-of-the art therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer (ROC) suitable for platinum-based re-treatment includes bevacizumab-containing combinations (eg, carboplatin/paclitaxel, carboplatin/gemcitabine) or the most active non-bevacizumab regimen: carboplatin/pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). This head-to-head trial compared a standard bevacizumab-containing regimen versus carboplatin/PLD combined with bevacizumab. Methods In this multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial, eligible patients had histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinoma with first disease recurrence >6 months after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, and were aged ≥18 years with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2. Patients were stratified by platinum-free interval, residual tumour, prior anti-angiogenic therapy, and study group language, and centrally randomised 1:1 using randomly permuted blocks of size two, four, or six to six intravenous cycles of carboplatin (AUC 4, day 1) plus gemcitabine (1000 mg/m 2 , days 1 and 8) every 3 weeks or six cycles of carboplatin (AUC 5, day 1) plus PLD (30 mg/m 2 , day 1) every 4 weeks, both given with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg every 3 weeks or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) until disease progression or toxicity. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Efficacy data were analysed in the intention-to-treat population (all randomised patients). Safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. This completed study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01837251.