title: Fertility preservation in women with malignant tumors and gonadotoxic treatments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because of improved survival rates and recent advances in reproductive medicine, fertility preservation methods in women of reproductive age with malignant or autoimmune diseases have risen in importance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selective literature review based on the authors' clinical and scientific experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fertility-preserving techniques are recommended for all girls and women up to age 40 who are at high risk of ovarian failure. As these techniques are complex, special expertise in counseling and treatment is needed; in the German-speaking countries, such expertise is available in centers belonging to the FertiPROTEKT network (www.fertiprotekt.eu). Most of these techniques carry a very low risk and can be performed in two weeks or less. Success rates depend on the patient's age, the experience of the center, and the particular technique used. The highest attainable likelihood of pregnancy after the use of a combination of cryopreservation techniques is estimated at 40% to 50%. Fertility preservation is generally not covered by health insurance; its cost ranges from several hundred to several thousand euros.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Girls and women up to age 40 who are about to undergo gonadotoxic treatment should be counseled about the availability of fertility-preserving techniques and, if appropriate, should be treated with such techniques in a specialized center.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Fertility Disorders, University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Wolff
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dian
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000150:complications*