Hyaluronic acid in the correction of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in women after anticancer treatment
Mkrtchian L.S., Kukosh M.Yu., Bychkova A.E., Apolikhina I.A., Ivanov S.A., Kaprin A.D., Zamulaeva I.A.
Objective: To study the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid in the correction of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in cancer patients after antitumor treatment.
Materials and methods: The literature search was conducted in the electronic databases, namely PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Embase, PsycINFO using the keywords in Russian and English. The articles were published between 1987 and 2024.
Results: The symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause have a long-term negative impact on the quality of life of women who underwent antitumor treatment for malignant neoplasms. In cases of hormone-dependent forms of the disease, and when patients refuse to receive menopausal hormone therapy, alternative treatment methods become necessary. Currently, there is no single standard for non-hormonal correction of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in this population. The use of hyaluronic acid in both non-injectable and injectable forms for cancer patients is an effective method for addressing problems associated with vulvovaginal atrophy. The safety of volume-forming substances based on hyaluronic acid has also been demonstrated in the absence of disease progression.
Conclusion: The analysis of the literature showed the potential for further research into the efficacy and safety of using hyaluronic acid including long-term follow-up to correct vulvovaginal changes in cancer patients after antitumor treatment. This research could help determine whether it should be included in the standard restorative treatment for these patients. Such an approach could improve the quality of life for this patient group and address a number of psychological and socio-economic issues.
Authors’ contributions: Mkrtchian L.S. – developing the idea of the article and the concept of the review, writing the text, scientific editing, approval of the final version of the article; Kukosh M.Yu. – collection and analysis of scientific material on clinical research, writing the text; Apolikhina I.A. – analysis of the material, scientific editing; Bychkova A.E. – work with literature, writing the text, preparing the manuscript for publication; Ivanov S.A., Kaprin A.D. – scientific review of the text; Zamulaeva I.A. – collection and analysis of scientific material on fundamental research, writing the text, scientific review.
Conflicts of interest: Authors declare lack of the possible conflicts of interest.
Funding: The study was conducted without sponsorship.
For citation: Mkrtchian L.S., Kukosh M.Yu., Bychkova A.E., Apolikhina I.A., Ivanov S.A., Kaprin A.D., Zamulaeva I.A. Hyaluronic acid in the correction of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in women after anticancer treatment.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2025; (10): 20-28 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2025.192
Keywords
hyaluronic acid
genitourinary syndrome of menopause
postovariectomy syndrome
vulvovaginal atrophy
cervical cancer
uterine body cancer
human papillomavirus (HPV)
radiation therapy
iatrogenic menopause
induced menopause
quality of life
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Received 15.07.2025
Accepted 16.10.2025
About the Authors
Liana S. Mkrtchian, Dr. Med. Sci., Head of the Department of Medical Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Technologies, A. Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Center – branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre, Ministry of Health of Russia; Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Obninsk Institute of Atomic Energy – branch of the National Research Nuclear University «MEPhI», 249036, Russia, Kaluga Region, Obninsk, Koroleva str., 4, liana6969@mail.ru, liana.mko@gmail.com,https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5027-5331
Marina Yu. Kukosh, PhD, Senior Researcher at the Department of Medical Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Technologies, A. Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Center – branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre, Ministry of Health of Russia; Associate Professor, Department of Oncology and Hematology,
Medical Institute, P. Lumumba RUDN University, 249036, Russia, Kaluga Region, Obninsk, Koroleva str., 4, manja70@inbox.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6481-1724
Anastasia E. Bychkova, obstetrician-gynecologist, oncologist at the Department of Aesthetic Gynecology and Rehabilitation, V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia; PhD student, A. Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Center – branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparin str., 4, abychkova88@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4855-8188
Inna A. Apolikhina, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Head of the Department of Aesthetic Gynecology and Rehabilitation, V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 117997, Russia, Moscow, Ac. Oparin str., 4; Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology,
Perinatology and Reproductology, Institute of Vocational Education, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), 119048, Russia, Moscow, Trubetskaya str., 8, bld. 2, i_apolikhina@oparina4.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4581-6295
Sergey A. Ivanov, Dr. Med. Sci., Corresponding Member of the RAS, Director, A. Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Center – branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre, Ministry of Health of Russia; Professor, Department of Oncology and Radiology named after V.P. Kharchenko of Medical Institute, P. Lumumba
RUDN University, 249036, Russia, Kaluga Region, Obninsk, Koroleva str., 4, oncourolog@gmail.com, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7689-6032
Andrey D. Kaprin, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Academician of the RAS, Academician of the Russian Academy of Education, Director, P. Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute – branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre, Ministry of Health of Russia; Director General, National Medical Research Radiological Centre, Ministry of Health of Russia; Head of the Department of Oncology and Radiology named after V.P. Kharchenko of the Medical Institute, P. Lumumba RUDN University, 249036, Russia, Kaluga Region, Obninsk, Koroleva str., 4, kaprin@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8784-8415
Irina A. Zamulaeva, Dr. Sci. (Bio), Professor, Head of Radiation Biochemistry Department, A. Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Center – branch of the
National Medical Research Radiological Centre, Ministry of Health of Russia; Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Radiation Biology, 249036, Russia, Kaluga Region, Obninsk, Koroleva str., 4, zamulaeva@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6136-8445
Corresponding author: Liana S. Mkrtchian, liana.mko@gmail.com
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