Cancer Treatments and Female Infertility: The Effects of Cancer Treatment on Female Infertility and Fertility-Preserving Tretament Options

Women who are undergoing cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, are often concerned with the side effects of chemotherapy on their fertility. Cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy, can indeed all affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant. In fact, hundreds of thousands of women become infertile after undergoing cancer treatment. But how exactly does cancer, and more specifically cancer treatment, affect a woman’s fertility? And can infertility be caused by cancer, whether permanent or temporary?

Types of Cancer Treatments

Different types of cancer treatments have different effects on a woman’s fertility and therefore not all lead to permanent infertility. Although it is difficult to discern the exact effect of a particular form of cancer treatment on a woman’s fertility, general guidelines do exist when trying to estimate the impact of treatment on a woman’s chances of getting pregnant:

• surgery: surgery is used to treat a variety of different cancers, especially female cancers. The effects of cancer surgery on a woman’s fertility depend on the specific type of surgery performed. For example, removing the uterus or both ovaries will permanently affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant. Similarly, an operation on the cervix, vagina or vulva can impact a woman’s changes of having a child.
• chemotherapy: the side effects of chemotherapy on fertility can be either permanent or temporary. The level of risk is dependent of the type of chemotherapy treatment a woman undergoes, as well as the dose of chemotherapy, the woman’s age and her overall health. Because a woman’s eggs mature each month, they are susceptible to damage caused by chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy also often results in female infertility because this form of cancer treatment can decrease the hormones produced by the ovaries, thereby affecting a woman’s fertility. However, the younger a woman is, the greater chance she has of recovery. In addition, a woman undergoing chemotherapy may be given birth control pills that will reduce her menstrual flow so as to minimize the risk of excess bleeding – a side effect of chemotherapy – which can also impact her fertility.
• radiation therapy: radiation therapy can lead to either temporary or permanent female infertility. This type of cancer treatment can have a particularly harmful effect on a woman’s fertility if performed on the ovaries or pelvic area. Total body radiation results in permanent infertility. The risk of infertility tied to radiation therapy depends on a woman’s age, the dose of radiation, and the type of radiation used.
• hormonal therapy: hormonal therapy can have a short-term effect on fertility while a woman is undergoing such treatment. In some cases, hormonal therapy can lead to early menopause.

Treating Cancer-Related Infertility

There are a variety of fertility-preserving options or infertility treatments available to women who are experiencing infertility caused by cancer treatment, such as:

• embryo cryopreservation: freezing embryos (fertilized eggs) is one fertility-preserving option available to women of reproductive age. The process of embryo cryopreservation includes the retrieval of eggs using an ultrasound. The eggs are then combined with the male partner’s sperm, which is retrieved either through microsurgery or through the provision of a semen analysis. The eggs and sperm are then fertilized together in the laboratory and cryogenically frozen until they are ready to be implanted in the women’s uterus following cancer treatment.
• oral contraception: research has shown that women who take birth control pills while undergoing chemotherapy can help to conserve eggs produced following their cancer treatment, making oral contraception an alternative way in which to protect one’s future chances of getting pregnant after cancer.
• gonadotrophin-releasing hormones (GnRH) analog treatment: this experimental method involves combining GnRHs with chemotherapy in an attempt to reduce the negative effects of chemotherapy treatment on a woman’s reproductive organs.
• ovarian-tissue preservation: this experimental method of fertility preservation involves surgery so as to remove, preserve and re-implant ovarian tissue.
• oocyte cryopreservation: this method of fertility preservation attempts to retrieve, freeze and store unfertilized eggs for future usage. However, this method of fertility preservation is still in its experimental stages and has as of yet not yielded any promising results.
• abdominal radical trachelectomy (ART): a type of conservative fertility-preserving surgery for women with cervical cancer. Studies have shown some promising preliminary results in which conception and full-term pregnancy were achieved; labor was also delivered successfully via cesarean section.

We are unable to provide answers to medically related questions or other medical advice via e-mail. Our physicians look forward to addressing your medical needs in person. To schedule an appointment or for more information about this practice as well as the programs and treatments they offer, please complete the form below. Be sure to include a valid telephone number and e-mail address so that one of our patient services coordinators may contact you directly.

Full Name:  State:  --- Select --- Outside US AE AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR OU PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY Your city:  Closest major city:  --- Select --- Atlanta Boston Chicago Dallas Denver Houston London Los Angeles Miami Minneapolis New York Philadelphia Phoenix San Diego San Francisco Seattle St Louis Sydney Washington DC Email:  Phone:  Program:  --- Select --- General information IUI - Artificial Insemination IVF - In Vitro Fertilization Fertility Drugs Tubal Reversal Vasectomy Reversal Mind/Body Programs Egg/Sperm Donation Alternative Treatments Other Comments: