Options Abound for Preserving Fertility in Men and Women
Cancer doesn’t have to mean infertility
ife-saving cancer treatments, particularly chemotherapy and radiation, can leave men and women infertile. However, advances – such as freezing eggs and performing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with even a few sperm – have made fertility after cancer a reality for more patients. Physicians and nurses at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin are educating patients about steps they can take now to preserve their future fertility.
A Team of Specialists
Specialists in the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Reproductive Medicine Center work with cancer caregivers to offer options that include egg or embryo freezing or donation, ovarian tissue banking, sperm freezing and testicular tissue freezing.
Medical College of Wisconsin obstetrician/gynecologists Paul Robb, MD, Estil Strawn, Jr., MD, and Medical College of Wisconsin urologist Jay Sandlow, MD, are experts in fertility preservation. They work with a multidisciplinary team to find the best option for each patient.
Preserving Fertility for Women
For certain women with gynecologic cancers, fertility-sparing surgery may be possible. For some early stage ovarian cancers, it is sometimes possible to remove only the affected ovary; the other is left intact, keeping natural fertility as an option. In another technique called ovary transposition, a woman’s ovaries may be surgically moved to shield them from radiation. A woman might also have her eggs harvested and frozen prior to treatment. Another option is fertilizing the eggs and freezing the embryos. While each of these methods can be successful, they are appropriate only for select patients.
Freezing Unfertilized Eggs
Historically, freezing a fertilized embryo has been easier and more effective than freezing eggs. Eggs contain more water, making them hard to freeze safely because ice crystals can form, destroying the cell’s structure. “Now, there is a newer technique of freezing called vitrification,” Dr. Robb said. “It works far better than the older methods.”
The ability to freeze eggs gives more women a path to fertility after cancer. Some women may not have a male partner available to donate sperm at the time of cancer treatment, or they may not want to create embryos to be frozen.
“In fact, we’ve started an egg bank using donated eggs that are available to any woman who is having difficulty using her own, whether due to previous cancer treatment, or other problems,” Dr. Robb said. “We can thaw a woman’s own or donor eggs, fertilize them with her partner’s or a donor’s sperm, and create embryos through in vitro fertilization.”
Amy Granlund, BS, clinic manager and embryologist, has extensive experience in andrology (male reproductive and sexual health), endocrinology and embryology.
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froedtert.com/cancer Clinical Cancer Center
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