title: [Ovarian cryopreservation in girls with cancer: new challenges].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ovarian cortex cryopreservation (OCC) for future autotransplant represents a treatment alternative for those paediatric cancer survivors affected of ovarian failure and fertility disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with high gonadotoxic risk are included in the Oncology Paediatric Fertility Preservation Programme: those receiving pelvic radiotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, high doses of cranial radiotherapy or alquilating agents, or those with bilateral ovarian pathology. Prior to the oncological treatment, the ovarian tissue is harvested laparoscopically. At the same time, other invasive procedures are done. Once malignancy is ruled out of the specimen and the presence of primordial follicles is confirmed, the multidisciplinary team of oncologist, paediatric surgeon and fertility specialist coordinate the processing and delivery of the ovarian cortex to the Comunidad Valenciana Tissue Bank.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From July 2008 to May 2010 eight patients have been included in the programme, aged between 8-18 years old and with diagnosis of: Hodgkin's lymphoma (n= 2), Acute Myeloblastic and Lymphoblastic leukaemia (n= 2), pelvic Ewing's sarcoma, bilateral ovarian Teratoma and Meduloblastoma. Five patients underwent non gonadotoxic chemotherapy before OCC. Six additional procedures were done using the same anaesthetic event. Partial oophorectomy was performed in half the cases, total oophorectomy in the rest of them, and an ovarian pexia was once associated. All taken samples were found to be valid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OCC of selected patients was performed safely, with neither postoperative complications nor delay of the oncological treatment. Therefore, the first national experience in this procedure has been satisfactorily achieved.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Valencia. georginasb@gmail.com
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sanchís Blanco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrés Moreno
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gregoraci
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortés Sáez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marco Macián
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rubio Rubio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Novella Maestre
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Castel Sánchez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Sala Viguer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D010053:Ovary