Controlled Ovarian Stimulation in Cancer Patients Under 18 Years Old; a Case Series

Overview

Journal J Ovarian Res

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Gynecology & Obstetrics
Reproductive Medicine

Date 2024 Feb 5

PMID 38317250

Authors

Azar Yahyaei

Mahdieh Moridi

Firouzeh Ghaffari

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Fertility preservation for adolescent pubescent girls is a concern of the healthcare system and parents. Oocyte cryopreservation is regarded as a standard medical intervention for patients with a minimum age of 18 years. Evidence suggests that mature oocyte cryopreservation is possible for adolescent pubescent girls, although, ovarian stimulation for these patients remains a challenge.

Cases Presentation: This case series is the first report regarding ovarian stimulation with oocyte cryopreservation in younger than 18 years cancerous girls, who refer to ROYAN institute, Tehran, Iran, prior to the start of the treatment of cancer (November 2015 to February 2021). The oocyte cryopreservation was carried out in the 7 patients (five patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, one patient with Ewing sarcoma, and one patient with osteogenic tumor), the embryo cryopreservation in one patient with dysgerminoma, and the oocyte and embryo cryopreservation in one patient with germ cell tumor. No oocytes were retrieved after ovarian stimulation in the patient with medulloblastoma. For one of the patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, half of the tissues of one ovary were cryopreserved prior to ovarian stimulation.

Conclusions: Oocyte cryopreservation is a feasible option of fertility preservation in the adolescent's patients with cancer. However, only if reported acceptable fertilization rates, as well as the successful cases of live birth from oocyte cryopreservation at the ages under 18, this option of preserving fertility can be applied to this age range.

Citing Articles

Experiencing fertility preservation in adolescence - a qualitative interview study indicating gender disparities in AYAs diagnosed with cancer.

Rodriguez-Wallberg K, Nilsson H, Folmerz M, Lundqvist E, Granberg L, Armuand G Front Oncol. 2025; 15:1515952.

PMID: 40052131 PMC: 11883189. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1515952.

Fertility Preservation in Female Patients with Cancer. Part I: Challenges and Future Prospects in Developing Countries; A Narrative Review Study.

Meighani E, Yahyaei A, Ghaffari F Int J Fertil Steril. 2024; 18(4):293-304.

PMID: 39564819 PMC: 11589969. DOI: 10.22074/ijfs.2024.2015626.1569.

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