Novel Medical Therapy for Refractory Endometriosis Associated Chronic Pelvic Pain: an Open Label Trial of Thalidomide

Background: Endometriosis affects 2.5-3.3% of reproductive age women and is a common diagnosis among women with chronic pelvic pain. Treatment for endometriosis ranges from conservative medical therapies to radical surgery. Endometriosis is an indication for 25-35% of laparoscopies and 10-15% of hysterectomies each year . Although the majority of women with endometriosis respond to conservative medical therapy, those with persistent pain often undergo hysterectomy. Based on clinical and experimental data that indicate that thalidomide may be a highly effective immune modulator, we sought to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of this novel therapy for endometriosis associated pain patients who desired fertility-sparing treatment after exhausting all other conservative modalities. Objective: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of thalidomide as a treatment for endometriosis associated pain patients