Now with the help of latest IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology, the cancer patient can retain or save their fertility through extensive fertility preservation. If you are diagnosed with cancer, it can drastically affect your fertility. However, the latest advancement in the field of IVF and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), it is now possible for both male and female to preserve or retain their fertility through fertility preservation technique.
Cancer Treatment Affect on Fertility
The affect of cancer treatment can impair your fertility or may cause sterility. The effect may prevail for short term of sometime permanent as well. Several factors such as type and stage of cancer, your age at the time of cancer treatment etc determine the amount of harm and impairment it does to your fertility. The cancer treatment in female may cause the surgical removal of ovaries or uterus. It can also put harm to their eggs, hormone level, functioning of the ovaries uterus and cervix. Moreover, it might involve risk of premature menopause. As far as male fertility is concern, it may jeopardize their quality of sperm or DNA due to chemotherapy and radiation effect. The cancer treatment can also cause the surgical removal of testicles.
Option to Preserve Fertility
Egg Freezing: The process of egg freezing is also known as oocyte cryopreservation. In this procedure, after the process of synthetic hormonal stimulation the eggs are surgically extracted from the ovaries. Then the unfertilized eggs are frozen.
Embryo freezing: In this procedure, the eggs are extracted from the ovaries and fertilized it with the sperm of male partner through IVF process. The resultant embryo(s) are then frozen.
Sperm freezing: This is male fertility preservation option. Prior to cancer treatment, male provides semen sample through masturbation or it is surgically extracted. It is then frozen and can be stored for years.
