Fertility Preservation in Female Cancer Patients

Abstract

Modern therapies for cancer such as surgery, chemotherapy, and irradiation have greatly improved survival rates. However, the treatment that serves to prolong life often comes with long-term side effects. In women of reproductive age and younger, one of the side effect is premature ovarian failure leading to infertility. At present, several options are available for the preservation of fertility. These include ovarian transposition, embryo, oocyte, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Hence, reproductive-aged women with cancer should be counseled about fertility preservation before initiating therapy. The choice of the most suitable strategy for preserving fertility depends on many factors such as the cancer type, patient age, type, dose, and length of chemotherapy, or the dose of radiation given and the area being irradiated. This review discusses the available methods to preserve female fertility and/or ovarian function in young cancer survivors, and also proposes an algorithm guideline for an individualized approach to fertility preservation.

Keywords: assisted reproductive technology, fertility preservation, cancer patient