Fertility News

Young Cancer Patients' Fertility Might Be Preserved Through New Technique - 07/10/2007

The eggs found in the ovarian tissue of girls as young as 5 were successfully collected and frozen in a recent Israeli study. The findings were reported at the 23rd annual Conference of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

The study findings provide hope for the preservation of fertility in young cancer patients who survive childhood cancers, a figure that is increasing.

Childhood cancers have a cure rate of approximately 70 to 90% and are overall more responsive to treatment compared to adult cancers. However, childhood cancers generally require aggressive chemotherapy treatment, which means that children will usually be sterile later in life.

Women who undergo chemotherapy have their ovaries stimulated for egg production; the eggs are then fertilized and frozen for assisted reproduction methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) when they complete their cancer treatment.

However, this process is not possible in girls. While the ovarian cortex is usually removed - the area in which there is a high level of egg producing follicles - the cortex often becomes damaged during the retrieval process. Therefore, collecting individual eggs is a more effective means of preserving fertility. The study found that the follicles in girls between the ages of 5 and 10 who had not yet undergone puberty also contained eggs.

The median age of the study's participants was 16. A total of 167 eggs were found, with an average of 8.5% per patient. Eggs were not found in only one patient, aged 16.

Forty-one eggs were succesfully matured, a success rate of 32%.

Source: Medical News Today

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