Reproductive options for female cancer patients: balancing hope and realistic expectation

Abstract

Purpose of review: To review currently available options in fertility preservation in cancer patients, report on emerging techniques, and highlight the importance of time sensitivity and recording of outcomes.

Recent findings: Fertility preservation in cancer patients is a rapidly expanding area of medicine. Recent success with experimental techniques such as oocyte cryopreservation and ovarian tissue cryopreservation exemplify the need for follow-up data collection.

Summary: Results of fertility outcomes in cancer patients should form an integral and important part of the pretreatment counselling process for cancer patients but limited published data from larger cohorts exist. The formation of a growing fertility preservation database would, therefore, allow ease of data analysis and more robust results.