Indications for cryopreservation of ovarian tissue

Abstract

For patients who are planning to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy or to undergo bilateral oophorectomy, loss of ovarian function will result in premature ovarian menopause and loss of fertility. For these women, although there is no successful method for the cryopreservation of human oocytes, ovarian tissue cryobanking is proposed with a view to its autotransplantation at a later date or the isolation and in-vitro maturation of oocytes. Embryo preservation is indeed not an option for single women and even for married women because delaying treatment for at least 2 months of in-vitro fertilization cycles is inappropriate and life-threatening. Following the success of animal experiments, there have been reports of ovarian cryopreservation for women having to receive chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. We present four case reports of ovarian tissue cryobanking and review the consequences of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on gonadal function, as well as the indications for freezing ovarian tissue.

Preservation of Fertility in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients With Cancer

“…[53][54][55][56][57] Currently, this technique is available only in certain parts of the United States as an experimental protocol until more can be learned about its safety and efficacy. 45 Within this context, it is the only method that can be offered to prepubertal girls.…”

Human oocyte and ovarian tissue cryopreservation and its application

“…Therefore, cryopreservation of ovarian cortex tissue which is rich in primordial and primary follicles has been suggested as an alternative to ovulation induction and oocyte cryopreservation for preserving fertility [87,88]. Viable follicles survive after freezing-thawing of human ovaries [89] and ovarian tissue [90][91][92].…”

“…Viable follicles survive after freezing-thawing of human ovaries [89] and ovarian tissue [90][91][92]. This has aroused interest in this procedure as a potential means of preserving the fecundity of patients at risk of premature ovarian failure [9,87,93]. In sheep, autotransplantation of frozen-thawed ovarian cortex [85] and of hemi-ovaries [94] has resulted in pregnancies, deliveries and prolonged hormone production [7,8].…”

Beneficial effect of desialylated erythropoietin administration on the frozen-thawed canine ovarian xenotransplantation

“…Several options are currently available to preserve fertility in cancer patients and provide the opportunity for mothering when they have overcome their disease: embryo cryopreservation, oocyte cryopreservation or ovarian tissue cryopreservation [2]. Among these, cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is the only option available for prepubertal girls and woman in need of immediate chemotherapy [3][4][5][6][7][8].…”