Fertility preservation in cancer patients

Abstract

Today the vast majority of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer achieve relatively high rates of remission and long-term survival, due to significant advances in oncological treatment. Oncological surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy however, are often detrimental to fertility, thus substantially impacting a patient's quality of life. Concerns about fertility are similar for men and women; however, their opportunities for intervention differ considerably. This article reviews the literature, discusses the etiology and effects of cancer treatment on fertility, and presents the current and emerging options for the preservation of fertility in patients with cancer. The various diagnostic methods of assessing the fertility potential at the time of diagnosis and the efficacy of the different fertility preserving methods after cancer treatment are also presented.