Spanish doctors developed a new treatment for endometrial cancer that prolongs fertility and has fewer side effects than similar treatments, according to a report published in the Annals of Oncology.
The study showed that an intrauterine device that releases the progesterone-like hormone levonorgestrel, when paired with gonadotropin-releasing hormone, is effective at halting and reversing the growth of the uterine cancers.
In the study, 39 women with very early womb cancer between the ages of 20 and 40 were studied.
The treatment doctors typically prescribe for endometrial cancer is a total hysterectomy (the removal of the womb and ovaries), ending the patient’s ability to have children. The new device has so far enabled nine of the women to conceive, the journal reported.
Oral treatment for the cancer is also an option, but some women who take the drugs suffer side effects such as abnormal bleeding, nausea, headaches and skin rashes. The researchers said that the IUD has a lower risk of side effects and may be more effective because of its placement inside the uterus.
