title: Cryopreservation of in vitro matured oocytes after ex vivo oocyte retrieval from gynecologic cancer patients undergoing radical surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to report a case series of in vitro matured (IVM) oocyte freezing in gynecologic cancer patients undergoing radical surgery under time constraints as an option for fertility preservation (FP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series report. University-based in vitro fertilization center. Six gynecologic cancer patients who were scheduled to undergo radical surgery the next day were referred for FP. The patients had endometrial (n=2), ovarian (n=3), and double primary endometrial and ovarian (n=1) cancer. Ex vivo retrieval of immature oocytes from macroscopically normal ovarian tissue was followed by mature oocyte freezing after IVM or embryo freezing with intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 53 oocytes were retrieved from five patients, with a mean of 10.6 oocytes per patient. After IVM, a total of 36 mature oocytes were obtained, demonstrating a 67.9% maturation rate. With regard to the ovarian cancer patients, seven IVM oocytes were frozen from patient 3, who had stage IC cancer, whereas one IVM oocyte was frozen from patient 4, who had stage IV cancer despite being of a similar age. With regard to the endometrial cancer patients, 15 IVM oocytes from patient 1 were frozen. Five embryos were frozen after the fertilization of IVM oocytes from patient 6.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Immature oocytes can be successfully retrieved ex vivo from macroscopically normal ovarian tissue before radical surgery. IVM oocyte freezing provides a possible FP option in patients with advanced-stage endometrial or ovarian cancer without the risk of cancer cell spillage or time delays.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chan Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Moon
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: In Ho
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Teak
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Heon
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Jin
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Cryopreservation; In vitro oocyte maturation techniques; Ovarian neoplasm; Uterine neoplasm