Oncofertility: What can we do from bench to bedside?

Abstract

Continuous improvement in diagnosis and treatment has significantly increased the survival of cancer patients. Treatments for neoplastic disease, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery or combined therapy with the above methods, may lead to premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) or substantial male germ cell loss. For the patients it is a seriously double whammy. Therefore, reproductive medicine experts strongly suggest that all young patients diagnosed with a malignant tumor should immediately undergo a consultation with suggestions for fertility and endocrine function protection and preservation. Here, we discuss the background knowledge, methods, indications, pros and cons, and experimental and clinical applications of fertility preservation, and new strategies for future fertility conservation to help physicians, especially oncologist, pediatrician, hematologist, and surgeons, become aware of the concepts, methods, and importance of fertility and endocrine function protection. We also hope to help doctors develop novel personalized strategies for fertility conservation according to patients' own conditions, tumor types, treatment methods, recurrence rate and so on. This review focuses on changing and enhancing the fertility preservation idea, further investigations in clinical and translational medicine will help ensure the development of novel personalized treatments, to help cancer patients have healthy children or maintain endocrine function once they are in remission. This is just the ultimate dream of oncofertility.

Keywords: Cancer; Embryo cryopreservation; Female fertility preservation; Male fertility preservation.