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Ectopic pregnancy is a well known complication of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer. From March 1983 to December 1993, 3000 clinical pregnancies were achieved at Bourn Hall Clinic, including 135 ectopic pregnancies (4.5%). Of these ectopics 20 were heterotopic, eight ovarian, six bilateral tubal and the remainder were singleton tubal pregnancies. The main risk factor identified in the series was a history of pelvic inflammatory disease (P < 0.001). The data also showed that ectopic pregnancy is at present more prevalent among patients in whom tubal damage is the reason for treatment. There was slight statistical evidence (P = 0.05) that patients having ectopic pregnancies received a higher volume of culture medium than those having normal deliveries. There was also an apparent trend (P = 0.07, not significant) that high progesterone/oestradiol ratio on the day of embryo transfer was associated with ectopic pregnancy. There was no statistical evidence of association between ectopic pregnancy and a history of ectopic pregnancy, abortion, still birth, termination of pregnancy, neonatal death, tubal surgery, ovarian stimulation protocol, plasma concentration of oestradiol, luteinizing hormone and progesterone, number of oocytes retrieved, number or quality of embryos transferred, administration of general anaesthesia for embryo transfer, and the number of patent Fallopian tubes. Awareness of the risk factors associated with ectopic pregnancy plays an important part in the early diagnosis of this potentially fatal condition.

The improved survival in recent years of young males suffering from cancer, and an understanding of the gonadotoxic effects of chemotherapy treatment, have motivated patients and clinicians to preserve fertility potential before embarking on adjuvant therapy. Among 231 men (mean age 28.0; range 15-56 years) diagnosed with malignant disease and referred to our unit for semen cryopreservation, 112 patients (49.8%) had reduced sperm quality of <10 x 10(6) motile spermatozoa per ejaculate; however, most had sufficient suitable spermatozoa for freezing. In 40 patients (17.3 %) the semen samples were not frozen because of complete azoospermia (n = 32) or only immotile sperm in the ejaculate (n = 2), while six men were unable to produce a single sample. Some 79 men had testicular tumours (group I), 121 suffered from haematological malignancy (leukaemia or lymphoma; group II), and 27 had cancer of different causes (group III). Men in group I had significantly lower (P < 0.001) sperm quality compared with groups II and III. There was no difference between patients with seminoma and non-seminoma tumours. In the haematological malignancy group there was no difference in sperm parameters between leukaemia (n = 12) and lymphoma (n = 77) patients, but patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma had significantly lower sperm quality compared with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Following chemotherapy, six couples attended the clinic for assisted conception treatment using the frozen semen. Two had successful intrauterine insemination cycles which each resulted in delivery of a healthy girl; one couple had conceived in their first in-vitro fertilization (IVF) attempt, followed by delivery of healthy twins. Two women conceived after intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment and the sixth woman achieved only biochemical pregnancy after numerous IVF and frozen embryo replacement cycles. We recommend that a properly designed programme for semen cryopreservation for cancer patients should be developed in leading tertiary assisted conception centres, which have adequate facilities and experience for cryopreservation and can offer the whole range of appropriate assisted reproductive treatment and counselling.

In recent years, the survival of young males suffering from cancer has been improved. Development of new techniques such as IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection enables even low quality spermatozoa to be used successfully. It is possible therefore to preserve fertility potential of cancer patients before embarking on adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Recognizing the importance of protecting the fertility potential of these young males, we present our recommendations for sperm cryopreservation based on the 11 year experience of Bourn Hall and the British Joint Council for Clinical Oncology consultation report. This paper discusses the options available for patients who recover from cancer to become fathers. In many cases patients are concerned about possible abnormalities and teratogenic risks to their future children who have been conceived naturally or by fertility treatment. The data available in the literature may reassure the medical community that there is no such increased risk. However, due to the relatively small number of children born after such treatment, a long-term follow-up is required. There is an ongoing debate regarding the justification for the programme due to the small number of patients who make use of their banked spermatozoa. The authors believe in the importance of protecting the fertility potential of cancer patients, enabling them to father their genetic children in the future while fighting their illness.

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Monozygotic twinning is a relatively rare event in in-vivo conception, being estimated to occur in 0.42% of all births. The underlying mechanism for monozygotic twin formation is the division of the embryo early in its development. Separation of cells may theoretically occur before or after inner cell mass formation. In this analysis we report 11 cases of monozygotic twins resulting from IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment cycles performed between 1991 and 1998 at St James's University Hospital, Leeds, and Bourn Hall Clinic, Cambridge, UK. Six cases (55%) followed treatment with ICSI and seven cases (64%) were in women aged > or = 35 years. This article also reviews the scientific literature discussing information pertaining to frequency, aetiology and potential complications of the monozygotic twinning phenomenon. We conclude that patients at risk of monozygotic twinning are those aged >35 years of age and those who had artificial opening in the zona pellucida by application of micromanipulation techniques. Women undergoing assisted conception treatment, particularly those with these two risk factors, must be informed of the low but definite risk of monozygotic twinning when counselled regarding the number of embryos to be transferred and chances of multiple births.

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