title: Malignancy may adversely influence the quality and behaviour of oocytes.
abstract: A case series of eight cycles of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in five women diagnosed with malignant disorders is presented. These patients chose to defer definitive treatment for a chance for preservation of potential fertility. The response of these patients to ovarian stimulation, and the outcome, was compared with 17 IVF cycles in 12 age-matched patients with isolated tubal infertility. An apparent adverse influence of malignant disease on the quality and behaviour of oocytes was observed. Despite a comparable total number of oocytes per cycle in the two groups, a significantly reduced percentage of mature oocytes was retrieved per cycle from patients with malignant diseases. The oocytes from patients with malignant disorders were of a poorer quality and exhibited a significantly impaired fertilization rate compared to the controls. We propose that neoplastic processes, irrespective of the site or cell of origin, may have a detrimental impact on the biology of oocytes, an effect akin to that seen on spermatozoa in men with certain malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pal
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leykin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Schifren
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Isaacson
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nikruil
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Toth
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery