Cryopreserved ovarian cortex from patients with leukemia in complete remission contains no apparent viable malignant cells

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation in girls undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplant: experience of a single centre

“…56 At the same time, Greve et al reported that ovaries from leukaemia patients in complete remission do not appear to contain viable malignant cells, in contrast to ovarian tissue retrieved before chemotherapy. 57,58 As far as our series of patients is concerned, no disease could be detected by histological examination of the tissue before cryostorage, even though it cannot be considered completely reassuring. That is why we experimentally evaluated by reverse transcription-PCR the expression of molecular translocations, when present at the diagnosis of the disease (n = 7), and no positivity has been found (data not shown).…”

Fertility issues in patients with hematologic malignancies

“…40 Unaffected ovarian tissue was seen primarily in patients who were in remission post-therapy. False-negative flow cytometry of ovarian tissue may occur, 38 so the most sensitive testing (ie, molecular studies) should be used when possible. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the safety of reimplantation of ovarian tissue in patients with hematologic malignancies, this approach is not recommended even as an experimental option for patients with leukemia, and possibly with any blood cancer.…”

Is transplantation of a few leukemic cells inside an artificial ovary able to induce leukemia in an experimental model?

“…In one study, the tumor-inducing potential of leukemic cells present in ovarian tissue was demonstrated in a xenografting model [18]. In another study, however, ovarian tissue from patients in complete remission did not appear to contain any viable malignant cells; although PCR results were positive, none of the grafted mice developed the disease [21]. Given the presence of leukemic cells and the uncertainty of disease transmission, reimplantation of ovarian tissue in young women with the acute form of leukemia is not currently recommended [13,22,23].…”