Prevalence Study of Adrenal Suppression After Corticosteroids During Chemotherapy

Gynecologic Oncology patients have several different chemotherapy regimens, and dexamethasone is now routinely given to prevent allergic reactions to the chemotherapeutic agents. The most common chemotherapeutic agents used are paclitaxel and carboplatin. This combination regimen is given every three weeks for a total of 5-6 doses. Each dose is given after administration of 20 mg dexamethasone twelve hours prior to and the morning of chemotherapy. Dexamethasone is used for its antiemetic effects, but also to minimize the potentially fatal hypersensitivity reaction that can occur with paclitaxel. Another commonly used chemotherapy regimens is weekly cisplatin given with one dose of dexamethasone for cervical cancer. Chronic steroids are known to cause adrenal suppression, but it is not known if the amount of dexamethasone given with the gynecologic cancer chemotherapy regimens described above causes adrenal insufficiency in these patients. The investigators hypothesis is that some women receiving steroids with their chemotherapy may have adrenal insufficiency, and that they will have greater than normal chemotherapy-related fatigue.