Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists. A guide to use and selection.

The development of superactive analogues of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) represents one of the most important new pharmaceutical contributions of the last 2 decades. This class of drugs is now available worldwide and is successfully employed in the management of precocious puberty, ovulation induction, prostatic cancer, premenopausal breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine leiomyoma, and for the preparation of female patients undergoing laparotomic, vaginal or endoscopic surgery. GnRH agonists are also applied with some success in other clinical conditions such as catamenial disorders, hyperandrogenism and menometrorrhagia. Studies are under way to identify other potential clinical applications such as other forms of cancer.