August 31, 2009
Owing to recent therapeutic advancements in the field of oncology, there has been a significant increase in the number of childhood cancer survivors. As per the estimates of the National Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF), one in every 250 adults in the US will be living with a history of childhood cancer by 2010. Though studies have established the detrimental effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on gonadal functions, there lacks consensus on extending the option of fertility preservation to premenarchal girls. A recent cohort study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, supports cryopreservation of the ovarian cortex along with the freezing of aspirated, in vitro maturation (IVM) oocytes in premenarchal girls, before initiating cancer treatment. The researchers also noted that the age of the subjects is not directly linked to the number of oocytes identified, matured, and cryopreserved.
