Fertility preservation consultation for women with cancer: are we helping patients make high quality decisions?

Abstract

Improved possibilities to protect and preserve fertility before gonadotoxic therapies allow us to help more women than in previous years. But to individually decide which preserving option and concept is possible and useful, one needs time for an intensive fertility preservation consultation. The counselling should be performed as soon as possible after having an exact diagnosis, an idea about the planned oncological adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy and its potential toxicity on ovaries. After the fertility preservation consultation, patients must have enough time to decide and involved colleagues must have enough time to realize the individual concept after patients' decision.