Fertility Preservation in Breast Cancer Patients
Fertility Preservation in Breast Cancer Patients
The development of effective methods of oocyte or embryo cryopreservation has allowed the development of FP in women suffering from cancer. Currently, there are no specific markers available to accurately predict the future ovarian function and risk of infertility in a young woman diagnosed with cancer. This is why all cancer patients with fertility concerns must be referred to a reproductive specialist for oncofertility counseling before cancer treatment, and the hormonal sensitivity of breast tumors accounts for the specificity of counseling in these situations. Since FP procedures are relatively invasive, it will be important in the future to have reliable markers to assess the future fertility of patients having to undergo treatment for BC. Thus, FP will be offered only to patients at risk of loss of fertility. On the other hand, FP techniques have significantly improved over the last decade, owing to the experience acquired in cancer patients, and are now considered an option for every woman, for medical and for 'nonmedical' purposes.
In addition, there is a dramatic lack of data on the potential of oocytes that were cryopreserved in cancer patients whatever the method used. As a consequence, we can consider that, at present, all these procedures of FP in oncologic patients remain experimental. Furthermore, improving the knowledge in markers of oocyte quality will help in the decision of choosing the best method of FP in BC.
Future Perspective
The development of effective methods of oocyte or embryo cryopreservation has allowed the development of FP in women suffering from cancer. Currently, there are no specific markers available to accurately predict the future ovarian function and risk of infertility in a young woman diagnosed with cancer. This is why all cancer patients with fertility concerns must be referred to a reproductive specialist for oncofertility counseling before cancer treatment, and the hormonal sensitivity of breast tumors accounts for the specificity of counseling in these situations. Since FP procedures are relatively invasive, it will be important in the future to have reliable markers to assess the future fertility of patients having to undergo treatment for BC. Thus, FP will be offered only to patients at risk of loss of fertility. On the other hand, FP techniques have significantly improved over the last decade, owing to the experience acquired in cancer patients, and are now considered an option for every woman, for medical and for 'nonmedical' purposes.
In addition, there is a dramatic lack of data on the potential of oocytes that were cryopreserved in cancer patients whatever the method used. As a consequence, we can consider that, at present, all these procedures of FP in oncologic patients remain experimental. Furthermore, improving the knowledge in markers of oocyte quality will help in the decision of choosing the best method of FP in BC.
