title: Fertility-preservation counselling and treatment for medical reasons: data from a multinational network of over 5000 women.
abstract: Fertility-preservation techniques for medical reasons are increasingly offered in national networks. Knowledge of the characteristics of counselled patients and techniques used are essential. The FertiPROTEKT network registry was analysed between 2007 and 2013, and included up to 85 university and non-university centres in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; 5159 women were counselled and 4060 women underwent fertility preservation. In 2013, fertility-preservation counselling for medical reasons increased significantly among nullipara and women aged between 21 and 35 years (n = 1043; P < 0.001). Frequency of GnRH applications slowly decreased, whereas tissue, oocytes and zygote cryopreservation increased. In 2013, women with breast cancer mainly opted for tissue freezing, whereas women with lymphoma opted for GnRH agonist. Women younger than 20 years predominantly opted for GnRH agonists and ovarian tissue cryopreservation; women aged between 20 and 40 years underwent a variety of techniques; and women over 40 years opted for GnRH agonists. The average number of aspirated oocytes per stimulation cycle decreased as age increased (< 30 years: 12.9; 31-35 years: 12.3; 36-46: 9.0; > 41 years: 5.7). For ovarian tissue cryopreservation, removal and cryopreservation of fewer than one ovary was preferred and carried out in 97% of cases in 2013.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Women's University Hospital, Effingerstrasse 102, 3010 Berne, Switzerland. Electronic address: michael.vonwolff@insel.ch.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Wolff
authors.affiliation: Women's University Hospital, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Universitätsstraße 21-23, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dittrich
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Women's University Hospital, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liebenthron
authors.affiliation: Centre for Fertility, Prenatal Medicine, Endocrinology and Osteology, amedes, Mönckebergstraße 10 (Barkhofpassage), 20095 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nawroth
authors.affiliation: Infertility Center, Women's University Hospital, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, Building D11, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Schüring
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 105, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bruckner
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Women's University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 440, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Germeyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D003376:Counseling; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy; D012042:Registries; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: GnRH agonists; fertility preservation; oocyte; ovarian stimulation; ovarian tissue; registry