( S ) Few studies of medical therapies for endometriosis report outcomes that are relevant to patients , and many women gain only limited or intermittent benefit from treatment
OBJECTIVE To assess patient response rates to medical therapies used to treat endometriosis-associated pain .
Updating the clinical experience in endometriosis – the European perspective
In a large , double‐blind , multicentre study , 269 patients with confirmed endometriosis were r and omly allocated to receive either danazol ( 200 mg twice daily ; n= 137 ) or gestrinone ( 2.5 mg twice weekly ; n= 132 ) for 6 months . The two groups were comparable in terms of the staging of endometriosis by the American Fertility Society ( 1979 ) score . After the sixth month of treatment , repeat laparoscopy was performed . Clinical assessment , haematological and biochemical investigations were carried out during the 6 months of treatment and for a further 12 months ' follow‐up and are compared between the two groups . A total of 15 patients from the gestrinone group , including four patients with hirsutism , and 17 patients from the danazol group , including six patients with headache , withdrew because of adverse symptoms . An additional 22 patients , including 10 from the gestrinone group and 12 from the danazol group withdrew because of lack of efficacy , pregnancy , elevated hepatic function tests or for reasons unrelated to the trial . Total American Fertility Society scoring showed an improvement of 73.3 % in 101 patients receiving gestrinone and 72.7 % in 99 patients receiving danazol . The results showed a significant reduction in the severity of dysmenorrhoea by the third month in the danazol group and at 6 months in both groups . There was a significant ( P < 0.001 ) increase in weight observed in both groups during treatment . Overall , the tolerability  of danazol and gestrinone was good ; however , significantly more patients with gestrinone complained of hirsutism while significantly more with danazol complained of leg cramps . During the 12 months of follow‐up , mild , moderate or severe degrees of lower abdominal pain , dysmenorrhoea and deep dyspareunia all fluctuated , with no statistically significant increase in frequency in either group
( S ) Few studies of medical therapies for endometriosis report outcomes that are relevant to patients , and many women gain only limited or intermittent benefit from treatment
OBJECTIVE To assess patient response rates to medical therapies used to treat endometriosis-associated pain .