Fertility Concerns and Preservation for Women

1. Fertility Concerns and Preservation for Women Female Fertility Concerns and Preservation Cancer treatments and medications affect fertility either temporarily or permanently. As you may know, fertility is the ability of an individual to become pregnant whereas infertility is the inability to get pregnant or maintain a pregnancy till delivery. Cancer Treatment and Fertility Due to severe damage to organs vital for reproduction and organs that produce hormones, infertility can occur. There are a number of cancer treatments that can cause fertility concerns in individuals. The following are some of them. RADIATION THERAPY AREAS Radiation therapy, when given to the below-mentioned areas, can lead to the symptoms of infertility in certain individuals.  The abdomen  The pelvis  The lower spine  The pituitary gland  The entire body  The ovaries  The areas near the ovaries  The uterus

2. CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS Chemotherapy, when done using the below-mentioned medications, can cause infertility in some patients.  Busulfan (Busulfex, Myleran)  Carmustine (BiCNU)  Chlorambucil (Leukeran)  Doxorubicin (Adriamycin)  Lomustine (CeeNU)  Mechlorethamine (Mustargen)  Melphalan (Alkeran)  Procarbazine (Matulane)  Cyclophosphamide (Neosar) SURGICAL REMOVAL OF A PART The surgical removal of any of the below-mentioned parts as a component of cancer treatment can cause fertility issues in certain individuals.  The uterus  The cervix  The ovaries Preserving Fertility Most health institutions recommend women undergoing cancer treatment discuss their fertility concerns with the medical team. Further, if your doctor suggests preserving fertility, ask for its risks and benefits. Such an option depends highly upon the following factors:  Your age  Your relationship status  Your physical and sexual maturity  Your personal expectations Embryo freezing Embryo cryopreservation or embryo freezing is a procedure that involves the preservation of embryos (fertilized eggs) for future use. Moreover, eggs that are not fertilized can also be frozen and used later. Oocyte (unfertilized egg) freezing It is a process that is used to save women’s ability to become pregnant. Eggs are harvested from your ovaries and frozen to be stored for further use. Oocyte (unfertilized egg) freezing is a good option for those individuals who undergo cancer treatment. Fertility-preserving surgery Fertility-preserving surgery is a surgical procedure that may be opted by cancer patients who have to start their treatment before puberty. This process is characterized by the retaining of the uterus and ovarian tissue of an individual to pave the way for future conception.

3. Ovarian suppression There are a number of drugs used to undertake this process. Ovarian suppression medications work by preventing the ovaries from producing estrogen in the body. This, in turn, lowers the levels of hormones in the body and stops menstruation. The following are some of the common ovarian suppression drugs:  Leuprolide (Lupron)  Goserelin (Zoladex) Ovarian tissue preservation This process removes the portion of the ovary that produces eggs. This portion is known as the ovarian cortex. Ovarian tissue preservation is done before initiating cancer treatment. It mainly involves freezing and storing the tissue. Further, this tissue can be transplanted to become pregnant in the future. There may be some other methods for preserving fertility. Consult your medical team and discuss the possible risks and benefits. Source: http://writeus.me/fertility-concerns-and-preservation-for-women/