Posters * Fertility Preservation

Abstract

Introduction: Chemotherapy is known to alter fertility. While some women are referred for fertility preservation (FP) before treatment, others experience infertility post-chemotherapy and require in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. In this study we compared the outcomes in women with cancer who underwent IVF before (preCT) or after (postCT) cancer treatment. Material(s) and Method(s): We secondarily analyzed a prospective study database of 184 cancer patients undergoing IVF or FP and identified 122 women who underwent a total of 136 IVF cycles for FP or infertility. Malignancies included breast cancer (preCT vs. postCT, n = 98 vs. 13), lymphoma (n = 2 vs. 1), leukemia (n = 1 vs. 1), endometrial cancer (n = 2 vs. 0), ovarian cancer (n = 0 vs. 1), brain tumor (n = 1 vs. 0), and both breast cancer and lymphoma (n = 1 vs. 1). Cycle outcomes were compared between the two groups. Result(s): The mean age of the study population was 34.8 +/- 4.7 years (range: 20 to 45) and 91.0% had breast cancer diagnosed. Of the IVF cycles 83.8% were in the preCT group and 16.2% were in the postCT group. The postCT group was older (36.5 +/- 5.3 vs 34.6 +/- 4.5 years, p = 0.035, Mann Whitney U test) and thus the results were adjusted for age with univariate analysis. The postCT group had a lower number of follicles (preCT vs. postCT, 10.0 +/- 8.8 vs. 4.7 +/- 2.4, p = 0.044), total number of oocytes retrieved (13.3 +/- 9.3 vs. 3.6 +/- 3.0, p = 0.001), number of mature oocytes retrieved (9.0 +/- 6.0 vs. 3.0 +/- 2.3, p = 0.005), and number of embryos generated (6.8 +/- 4.9 vs. 2.6 +/- 1.9, p = 0.011). Conclusion(s): Chemotherapy results in a significant decline in response to fertility drugs. Fertility preservation should be encouraged prior to chemotherapy in young women with cancer.