Showing papers by "William Wallace published in 1989"
TL;DR: As the number of oocytes within the ovary declines exponentially by atresia from approximately 2,000,000 at birth to approximately 2000 at the menopause, it is able to estimate that the LD50 for the human oocyte does not exceed 4 Gy.
Abstract: Ovarian function has been studied sequentially since 1975 in 19 patients treated in childhood for an intra-abdominal tumour with surgery and whole abdominal radiotherapy (total dose 30 Gy). Eleven patients received chemotherapeutic agents that are not known to cause gonadal dysfunction. All but one patient have developed ovarian failure with persistently elevated gonadotrophin levels (FSH and LH greater than 32 IU/litre) and low serum oestradiol values (less than 40 pmol/litre) before the age of 16 years. The majority (n = 12) did not progress beyond breast stage 1 without sex steroid replacement therapy. As the number of oocytes within the ovary declines exponentially by atresia from approximately 2,000,000 at birth to approximately 2000 at the menopause, we have been able to estimate that the LD50 for the human oocyte does not exceed 4 Gy.
203 citations
TL;DR: The outlook for normal ovarian function following whole abdominal XRT is poor, flank XRT introduced intermittently from 1972, has resulted in less pubertal failure but the possibility of a premature menopause may with time become a reality.
199 citations