Fertility Preservation for Young Women with Cancer: Hope for the Future

Advances in the diagnosis and successful treatment of childhood, adolescent, and adult cancers have allowed many young women to lead healthy lives after overcoming their disease. However, life-saving cancer treatment often impairs fertility. Chemotherapy and/or radiation may irreversibly damage the reproductive system. The maturing field of assisted conception, and specifically cryopreservation, has created a unique partnership between oncologists and fertility specialists. Improving assisted conception success and fertility sparing strategies provide options for young women who would like to have children of their own after cancer treatment. This review article focuses on the current practices and developing opportunities for women who wish to preserve their fertility when faced with gonadotoxic cancer treatment.