Current Fertility Preservation Options for Female Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma

Many adolescents and young adults diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) experience disease progression requiring high-dose alkylating salvage therapy, which often results in permanent infertility.

The aim of this report is to discuss fertility preservation options in female patients with consideration of chemotherapeutic agents in HL.

An electronic literature review was performed utilizing a combination of the terms "Hodgkin lymphoma," "fertility preservation," "ovarian tissue cryopreservation," "oocyte cryopreservation," "embryo cryopreservation," and "gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist." References and data from identified sources were searched and compiled to complete this review.

Initial treatment of HL is often nonsterilizing; however, salvage therapy and conditioning for stem cell transplantation confer significant gonadotoxicity. Established fertility preservation options for pubertal females include embryo cryopreservation and oocyte cryopreservation. These options are contraindicated within 6 months of receipt of chemotherapy. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is an option for patients who require salvage therapy within 6 months of first-line therapy.

Timing and choice of fertility preservation techniques depends on planned first-line chemotherapy and response to treatment. In patients initially treated with low-risk chemotherapy, it is reasonable to defer invasive fertility techniques until treatment failure; however, upfront fertility preservation should be considered in patients planning to undergo primary treatment with high-risk therapy.