Fertility preservation in women with cancer

Abstract

Fertility preservation (FP) is an effort to retain the fertility of cancer patients, and as an emerging discipline, it plays a central role in cancer care. Because of improvement in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, an increasingly large number of patients are surviving with cancer. FP specialists should make an effort to spread the significance of FP among reproductive women with cancer and provide appropriate education both for associated physicians and for cancer patients who wish to preserve their fertility. Physicians who take part in the initial diagnosis and management of cancer should consider the importance of early referral of young cancer patients to FP specialists and take care of those patients by providing timely information and appropriate counseling. Individualized treatment strategies should be delivered depending on the patient's situation with appropriate team approach.

Successful Spontaneous Pregnancy after Treatment for Ewing Sarcoma including Sacrectomy

“…But Lee et al also highlighted that ovarian tissue cryopreservation and reimplantation is a main option to preserve fertility of cancer patients who need an immediate start of the cancer treatment. For patients in the prepubertal age, freezing is the only option to preserve fertility [ 8 ]. Up to now, a total of 17 babies from 12 patients have been born worldwide from ovarian tissue cryopreservation and reimplantation [ 8 – 10 ].…”

“…For patients in the prepubertal age, freezing is the only option to preserve fertility [ 8 ]. Up to now, a total of 17 babies from 12 patients have been born worldwide from ovarian tissue cryopreservation and reimplantation [ 8 – 10 ]. Three of them suffered from Ewing's sarcoma.…”

Fertility preservation for patients with gynecologic malignancies: The Korean Society for Fertility Preservation clinical guidelines

“…In general, the upper border of the radiation field is defined as the upper border of the L4/L5 lumbar vertebra. During standard ovarian transposition, the ovaries should be surgically moved to above the anterior superior iliac spine or up to the navel to prevent them from undergoing radiation damage [ 4 5 ].…”

“…Conization and trachelectomy are standard methods of fertility preservation for patients with early-stage cervical cancer. The indications for trachelectomy are presented in Table 1 [ 4 ]. Cervical conization can be performed for stage IA1 or IA2 cervical cancer.…”

Advances in the Treatment and Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Ovarian Toxicity

“…In Europe, the five-year-survival rate is 79.1% in children diagnosed with cancer [ 3 ]. However, aggressive chemotherapy can cause impairment of reproductive functions and even fertility loss [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Although depletion of ovarian function is associated with improved survival outcomes in breast cancer patients of reproductive age, it has several side effects, such as hot flashes, osteoporosis, and sexual dysfunction [ 8 ].…”