Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Z-Scores for Assessing Ovarian Reserve in Young Patients Undergoing Fertility Preservation
Published on: October 25, 2024
Ovarian reserve, response to gonadotropins, and oocyte maturity in women with malignancy
Mausumi Das1, Fady Shehata, Anwar Moria
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Objective:
To study the ovarian reserve, ovarian response to gonadotropins, and oocyte maturity in women with cancer undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) before chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Design:
Case-control study.
Setting:
University teaching hospital.
Patient(S):
We evaluated all women with malignancy who underwent fertility preservation from the year 2003 to 2010. We compared 41 women with cancer undergoing IVF treatment with a control group of 48 age-matched women undergoing IVF for male factor infertility with the same protocol.
Intervention(S):
In vitro fertilization.
Main Outcome Measures(S):
Ovarian reserve, ovarian response to gonadotropins, number of oocytes retrieved, and oocyte maturity.
Result(S):
There were no significant differences in age, antral follicle count, serum FSH, total dose of gonadotropins required for stimulation, duration of stimulation, or peak E(2) levels on the day of hCG administration between women with cancer and the control group. No significant differences were observed in the number of retrieved oocytes between the malignancy and control groups. The percentages of mature oocytes in patients with hematologic malignancy (83.3%), gynecologic and intestinal malignancy (94%), and brain cancer (86%) and in the control group (82.1%) were similar, as were the fertilization rates.
Conclusion(S):
In young women with malignancy, ovarian reserve, response to gonadotropins, oocytes retrieved, and oocyte maturity remain unaltered by the neoplastic process. This is in contrast to the impairment of spermatogenesis before therapy in men with cancer.
Related Concept Videos
Oogenesis
Oogenesis
Each primary oocyte is surrounded by a layer of pre-granulosa cells, forming what is known...
Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle
Before puberty, the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a low frequency, low amplitude pulsatile manner. This along with the immature hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis activity, results in low estrogen levels and the absence of a fully functional ovarian cycle. At puberty, GnRH secretion increases in both frequency and...
Menopause
Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
Folliculogenesis
