title: Ovarian stimulation and in-vitro fertilization outcomes of cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation compared to age matched controls: a 17-year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes of cancer patients who underwent oocyte retrieval and embryo/oocyte cryopreservation prior to gonadotoxic therapy to those of age and time-matched controls with tubal factor infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  All cancer patients who underwent embryo/oocyte cryopreservation at our institution from 1997 to 2014 were reviewed. Primary outcomes were total dose of gonadotropins used, number of oocytes retrieved, and number of 2pn embryos obtained. Outcomes were compared to age-matched controls with tubal-factor infertility who underwent a fresh embryo transfer within the same relative time period as the IVF cycle of the cancer patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-three cancer patients underwent 65 IVF cycles, and 21 returned for frozen embryo transfer. One hundred twenty-two age-matched controls underwent IVF cycles with fresh transfer, and 23 returned for frozen embryo transfer. No difference was seen between cancer patients and controls with respect to total ampules of gonadotropin used (38.0 vs. 35.6 respectively; p = 0.28), number of oocytes retrieved (12.4 vs. 10.9 respectively; p = 0.36) and number of 2pn embryos obtained (6.6 vs. 7.1 respectively; p = 0.11). Cumulative pregnancy rate per transfer for cancer patients compared to controls was 37 vs. 43 % respectively (p = 0.49) and cumulative live birth rate per transfer was 30 vs. 32 % respectively (p = 0.85). Cancer patients had a higher likelihood of live birth resulting in twins (44 vs. 14 %; p = 0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most IVF outcomes appear comparable for cancer patients and age-matched controls. Higher twin pregnancy rates in cancer patients may reflect lack of underlying infertility or need for cancer-specific transfer guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Eden R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Cardozo
authors.forename: Alexcis P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Anatte E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Karmon
authors.forename: Kristy A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: Diane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sabatini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy*; D009369:Neoplasms; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome