Ovaries on ice: freezing fertility in preadolescent female cancer patients

As survival rates from childhood cancer increase, fertility preservation is becoming increasingly important. Alkylating agents and whole body irradiation, common treatments in childhood cancer, have detrimental effects on follicle viability in females. Currently, ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) is the only option for fertility preservation available to preadolescent females. Ovarian tissue can be harvested for cryopreservation laparoscopically without delaying cancer treatment. Although OTC is an experimental and rapidly evolving area of research, it has shown success in humans, with several live births reported thus far. Therefore, an analysis of OTC and its suitability for preadolescent females is appropriate at this time. Future research directions will allow OTC to transition from an experimental method with limited availability to a viable option for preadolescent cancer patients. As research progresses, physicians must be aware of the current state of OTC, as well as ethical concerns, risks, and benefits of OTC as a fertility preserving option.