Fertility and breast cancer: A literature review of counseling, preservation options and outcomes

Santiago Moragón; Raimondo Di Liello; Begoña Bermejo; Cristina Hernando; Ernesto Olcina; Isabel Chirivella; Ana Lluch; Juan Miguel Cejalvo; María Teresa Martínez

doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103461

Fertility and breast cancer: A literature review of counseling, preservation options and outcomes

Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2021 Oct:166:103461. doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103461. Epub 2021 Aug 27.

Authors

Santiago Moragón¹, Raimondo Di Liello², Begoña Bermejo³, Cristina Hernando¹, Ernesto Olcina⁴, Isabel Chirivella¹, Ana Lluch³, Juan Miguel Cejalvo⁵, María Teresa Martínez⁶

Affiliations

¹ Medical Oncology Department. INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Clínico de València, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
² Medical Oncology Department. INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Clínico de València, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Medical Oncology, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania ''Luigi Vanvitelli'', Naples, Italy.
³ Medical Oncology Department. INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Clínico de València, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Center for Biomedical Network Research on Cancer (CIBERONC), Spain.
⁴ Hematology and Oncology Department, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
⁵ Medical Oncology Department. INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Clínico de València, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; Center for Biomedical Network Research on Cancer (CIBERONC), Spain. Electronic address: juanmitch5@hotmail.com.
⁶ Medical Oncology Department. INCLIVA Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Clínico de València, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Electronic address: maitemartinez3@yahoo.es.

PMID: 34461268
DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2021.103461

Abstract

Fertility preservation is an important issue in breast cancer patients undergoing oncological treatment. Fertility counseling is a crucial need given the physical and psychological stress experienced by patients. Cryopreservation of mature oocytes is currently the standard fertility-preserving procedure. Other options such as ovarian tissue preservation or gonadal protection during chemotherapy are still experimental, but have proven effectiveness. Prompt referral to a fertility unit is highly recommended in order to ensure quality of care. In this article, we focus on the different strategies to preserve fertility in breast cancer patients, assessing also the safety of pregnancy and breastfeeding after cancer. A systemic literature review was performed for research articles published in English in PubMed, or as abstracts from the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meetings, using the search terms "breast cancer" and "fertility".

Keywords: Breast cancer; COS; Fertility; Fertility preservation; IVF; Pregnancy-Associated breast cancer.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Counseling
Cryopreservation
Female
Fertility
Fertility Preservation*
Humans
Oocytes
Pregnancy