Frank Z. Stanczyk

Many different progestogens are used by millions of women worldwide for oral contraception, either alone (Progestogen-only Pills [POPs]) or as combined oral contraceptives (COCs) comprising a synthetic estrogen (ethinyl estradiol [EE]), or …

Estrogens play an important role throughout a woman's life; therefore, disrupting their physiological production will alter hormonal balance with consequences for estrogen-related conditions, such as endometriosis and adenomyosis. The gut m…

OBJECTIVES: To summarize the literature on the rediscovery and clinical exploration of the fourth natural estrogen estetrol (E4), more than 100 years after the discovery of estrone (E1), estradiol (E2), and estriol (E3). METHODS: Literatur…

Menopause, defined by the cessation of menstrual cycles after 12 months of amenorrhea not due to other causes, is associated with significant hormonal changes, primarily a decrease in estrogen, androgen, and progesterone levels. This review…

Programmed or medicated frozen embryo transfer cycles rely on exogenous progesterone (P) administration to prepare the endometrium for implantation and maintain pregnancy. Presently, the optimal route and dose of P replacement for frozen em…

Many factors, including reproductive hormones, have been linked to a woman's risk of developing breast cancer (BC). We reviewed the literature regarding the relationship between ovulatory menstrual cycles (MCs) and BC risk. Physiological va…

The availability of direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing has dramatically increased over the past 2 decades, particularly those targeted at reproduction and fertility. Several ethical concerns exist with regard to DTC tests, including the lack …

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were (i) to explore whether differences in cell proliferation may help explain why most high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOC) arise in the fallopian tube fimbriae (FTF) rather than in ovarian cor…

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of elagolix when administered at different time points in a menstrual cycle. DESIGN: Clinical case series. SETTING: Academic reproductive endocrinology center. PATIENTS: Ovulatory women not desiring…

IMPORTANCE: Despite lack of evidence of their utility, biomarkers of ovarian reserve are being promoted as potential markers of reproductive potential. OBJECTIVE: To determine the associations between biomarkers of ovarian reserve and repr…

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the role of vitamin D in reproduction by examining the relationship between recipient vitamin D levels and pregnancy rates in donor-recipient IVF cycles. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Academic tertia…

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) are an effective treatment of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain. The use of hormonal add-back therapy can alleviate the hypoestrogenic symptoms associated with GnRHa therapy, while preservi…

OBJECTIVE: To generate estimates of the association between markers of ovarian aging and natural fertility in a community sample at risk for ovarian aging. METHODS: Women aged 30-44 years with no history of infertility who had been trying …

Glucuronidation, catalyzed by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) and sulfation, catalyzed by sulfotransferases (SULT), are pathways through which sex steroids are metabolized to less active compounds. These enzymes are highly polymorphic an…

PURPOSE: Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are widely used in reproductive-age women. The AED carbamazepine (CBZ) induces the hepatic cytochrome P450 system, thereby accelerating hormone metabolism. We sought to assess the pharmacodynamic effects …

PURPOSE: Mammographic breast and bone mineral densities (BMD) have been associated with luteal phase hormone concentrations in premenopausal women. We assessed the associations of breast and bone densities with follicular phase hormones and…

A variety of progestins are available for therapeutic use. It is convenient to classify them into those related in chemical structure to progesterone or testosterone. Progestins related to progesterone can be subdivided into pregnanes and 1…