For women of childbearing age diagnosed with cancer, preserving fertility before treatment is a major concern. A narrative review of studies, mainly from China, looked at several techniques including freezing eggs, embryos, and ovarian tissue, as well as maturing eggs in the lab.
Results show that after thawing, about 80% to 90% of frozen mature eggs survive. For women who freeze eggs, the chance of having a baby later is about 33%. Using frozen embryos for pregnancy may lead to higher pregnancy rates than using fresh embryos. For ovarian tissue transplantation, the chance of a sustained pregnancy or live birth is about 37.7%.
However, there are risks. With ovarian tissue freezing, there is about a 1% chance of reintroducing tumor cells, with the highest risk for leukemia patients. In vitro maturation, a technique for immature eggs, has a lower live birth rate of about 8.9%. Many patients (66% to 100%) feel they need more information about fertility options.
This review highlights the need for teamwork among doctors, clear ethical rules, and support for patients to make informed decisions. Because this is a narrative review, the results are not from a single study but from looking at many studies together.