Fertility hope for cancer patients
Fertility hope for cancer patients
2008-07-07Newsfeed
Women made infertile by cancer treatment could in future be given the chance to have a baby thanks to a new technique developed by researchers in Germany.
Women made infertile by cancer treatment could in future be given the chance to have a baby thanks to a new technique developed by researchers in Germany.
At present women can opt to have their eggs collected and stored before undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment, but as the procedure has to be done at the start of the menstrual cycle it can involve a wait of up to six weeks, which is not always feasible if treatment is urgent.
Researchers at the University of Heidelberg have now shown that ovaries can be stimulated during the final phase of the menstrual cycle, widening the window of opportunity for egg collection. It means that women who cannot wait before starting cancer treatment may for the first time be offered the option of preserving their fertility.
Dr Michael von Wolff, who pioneered the new approach, said it could take between two and six weeks to start ovarian stimulation and collect eggs. "Two weeks is an acceptable amount of time in many diseases to wait before starting a cancer treatment such as chemotherapy, but three to six weeks is far too long," he said.
The study showed that mature eggs can be obtained before cancer therapy within two weeks.
Copyright © The Press Association 2008
