Fertility preservation in females with malignant disease-1: causes, clinical needs and indications

Abstract

Cancer incidence is progressively increasing in parallel with an increase in the rate of cancer survivors with the help of advanced treatment modalities. By the year 2010, it is estimated that one in every 250 persons will have survived a childhood malignancy. The increased rates of survival bring about complications related to reproductive health. Cytotoxic treatments due to chemo- and radiotherapy or bone marrow transplantation suppress or irreversibly harm not only female ovarian reserve but also male testicular sperm production. In this review, cryopreservation of gametes and gonads with fertility preservation options and indications prior to cancer treatments are discussed