As the success rates for cancer treatments continue to rise, more and more patients are living long, active lives. While cancer treatments have allowed patients to survive at higher rates, they also can have a negative impact on fertility.
Fertility Preservation for Women Before Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy and radiation have both been shown to negatively affect the fertility of both men and women, often damaging eggs and possible leaving the woman infertile. Freezing a woman’s eggs, or embryos created using sperm from her partner or an anonymous donor, can provide women with the chance to have a biological child in the future.
Fertility Preservation Process:
- Fertility specialists of CRE will induce the maturation of the eggs and retrieve them as would be done for an IVF cycle
- If the patient does not have a partner, or would prefer not to use donor sperm, we would then freeze her eggs through a process called vitrification
- If the patient would like to freeze embryos instead of eggs, CRE’s fertility specialists would then fertilize the retrieved eggs with sperm from her partner or an anonymous donor prior to being vitrified and stored for later use.
- When the patient is ready to use her frozen eggs or embryos, they will be retrieved from storage and thawed. Frozen eggs that have survived the oocyte freezing process will be fertilized in vitro and the resulting embryo(s) will be transferred to the patient’s uterus.
Fertility Preservation for Men Before Cancer Treatment
Men undergoing cancer treatment are also encouraged to freeze their sperm prior to undergoing treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy, as these treatments can leave men infertile. Patient’s seeking to freeze their sperm will be able to provide a sample to the fertility experts at CRE, which will then be frozen and stored until the patient is ready to use them through IUI or IVF.
To learn more about your fertility preservations options, contact the fertility specialists of CRE today at 972-566-6686.
