While women and men facing cancer today have more options for treatment than ever before, many patients worry that some of these treatments may prevent them from being able to have children later. Chemotherapy, in particular, can have a major impact on a person’s fertility, depending on the types of drugs used and the length of the treatment. Patients frequently choose to freeze their sperm or eggs prior to undergoing chemotherapy. Freezing sperm is a simple procedure, but the process of harvesting and freezing eggs is extremely invasive, time-consuming, and expensive. In addition, the process can harm the eggs and the procedure does not guarantee that the eggs will be viable.
Luckily, the emerging new field of oncofertility bridges the gap between cancer treatment and reproductive science. Traditionally, oncologists focus on curing their patients, and the preservation of their fertility is not the main priority. Some women and men have become sterile after undergoing chemotherapy Without being warned of the risk beforehand, or Without learning all their treatment options. This reality becomes even more difficult to accept when many men and women can undergo procedures will allow them to have children after chemotherapy. Previously, the onus was on the patient to explicitly ask about the impact of their cancer treatment on their fertility. With the emergence of the field of oncofertility, researchers are working to expand the options available to these patients.
One experimental treatment now available to women involves freezing the ovarian tissue. All or part of the ovary is removed in strips for re-implantation in the body after recovery from cancer treatment. The removed ovarian tissue contains the eggs. This procedure is still highly experimental, but it points to a new push for options to preserve fertility in the face of chemotherapy. In addition, further oncofertility research could lead to important policy changes, such as assistance with defraying the cost of treatments. At present, insurance companies consider fertility preservation procedures as elective.
Dr. Sami David 