title: Should ovarian cryopreservation be offered to girls with cancer.
abstract: Current therapy of childhood cancer makes long-term survival a realistic outcome for most patients. However, some treatment regimens entail a significant risk of infertility. No established method for preservation of female fertility is currently available. Ovarian cryopreservation is an experimental technology that is being offered with increasing frequency to women undergoing cancer therapy. It has not yet been reported in children and adolescent girls. The aim of this review is to stimulate discussion on the possibility of performing ovarian cryopreservation in pre-menarcheal girls in advance of therapies that may induce ovarian failure. We present a multi-disciplinary discussion of the risks and benefits associated with the procedure and propose guidelines for its implementation. We propose that all girls about to receive treatment that has a high risk for infertility be offered consultation about the possibility of ovarian cryopreservation.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology-Oncology unit, Hadassah University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. michaelw@hadassah.org.il
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weintraub
authors.forename: Eitan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Avishag
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kadari
authors.forename: Vardit
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ravitsky
authors.forename: Anat
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Safran
authors.forename: Neri
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laufer
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Revel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010053:Ovary; D012307:Risk Factors