Preliminary report on the use of danazol in the treatment of endometrial adenomatous hyperplasia

Abstract

Since the authors recently reported that danazol inhibits the growth of human endometrial cancer cells in vitro, a clinical trial was initiated to examine whether danazol can regress adenomatous hyperplasia, a precursor of endometrial adenocarcinoma. Danazol was used for 3 months in the treatment of five patients with a history of hypermenorrhea and irregular uterine bleeding. Within a 9-month follow-up period, all patients were symptom-free, and none of the specimens obtained by endometrial biopsy showed the presence of adenomatous hyperplasia. These findings suggest that danazol has a potential application in the treatment of patients with endometrial adenomatous hyperplasia. A possible mechanism of action of the compound in adenomatous hyperplasia is also discussed.