Risk of transplanting cryopreserved ovarian tissue in women with malignancies

Abstract

The restoration of the ovarian function after chemotherapy or radiotherapy has two main goals: to improve quality of life and restore reproductive function. Breast cancer is the most frequent diagnosis of patients demanding fertility preservation treatments, followed by hematological cancers. When ovarian tissue cryopreservation is considered, it becomes necessary to assess the possibility of reintroducing metastatic cells within the reimplant, an issue that has not been addressed systematically. Current data indicates that ovarian cortical grafting for fertility preservation is contraindicated in patients with leukemia owing to the risk of reintroducing malignant cells, but there seems to be no risk for women with Hodgkin's disease or those in the early stages of breast cancer.