Oncofertility A Hope for Cancer Patients
Fertility preservation is basically the preservation of the capability of a person to start a family at a time of his or her choosing. There has been a need for oncofertility, fertility preservation in cancer patients, with the decrease in mortality rate and increase in unwanted side effects such as lowered fertility or infertility. The treatment of cancer, which mainly involves chemotherapy and radiotherapy, can have grave consequences on the fertility, especially of women, since it can damage the ovary. According to the experts of the best IVF clinic in Delhi, the oncologists should inform their patients of reproductive age about the likelihood of infertility due to the treatment and be in a position to discuss the various oncofertility options available to them.
Oncofertility Options Available for Male Patients:
Sperm Cryopreservation: Collection of the sperm before the commencement of the treatment is generally recommended by the doctors as well as experts as even after a single session of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, the quality of the sperm may not be the same. The semen sample, once produced, is frozen and stored for future use.
Hormonal gonadoprotection is one of the other available options of fertility preservation for males, but not as successful and effective in preserving fertility as sperm cryopreservation.
Oncofertility Options Available for Female Patients:
Cryopreservation of Embryo: Embryo cryopreservation is the most established and successful technique of fertility preservation in female cancer patients. Similar to IVF, there is a need for ovarian stimulation of about two weeks with daily injections of follicle-stimulating hormone, which must begin within the first three days of menstrual cycle. After which, either the slow freezing or vitrification method is adopted to preserve the embryo.
Cryopreservation of Oocytes: In case of patients who do not have a partner, cryopreservation of unfertilised oocytes is one of the main options available for fertility preservation. Similar to aforementioned technique, this method requires ovarian stimulation. It is of significant importance for the centres involved in cryopreservation of oocytes to follow the IRB (Institutional Review Board) approved protocols.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation, ovarian suppression and ovarian transposition are some of the other options available for oncofertility in female cancer patients, which are not as common and successful as the embryo and oocytes cryopreservation.
Out of the above mentioned options of oncofertility, two options with the highest success rates are sperm cryopreservation for males and embryo cryopreservation for females but the couple should always consult at a renowned infertility clinic to know about the suitable options for their infertility treatment in Delhi.
Gaudium IVF is a most trusted IVF clinic in Delhi offering the best and the latest infertility treatment at affordable cost.
For a free consultation from Dr Manika Khanna, visit Gaudium IVF today.
