Fertility Preservation and Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome Management in Cancer Care: A Pathophysiological Perspective on Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists and Antagonists.

This narrative review delves into the evolving landscape of fertility preservation techniques, with a particular focus on their use in patients undergoing oncology treatment that carries a risk of ovarian insufficiency. Advances in established methods such as cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos are highlighted, and the increasing use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists is discussed. The review also addresses the complexities and controversies associated with these approaches, such as the 'flare-up' effect associated with GnRH agonists and the potential of GnRH antagonists to reduce the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Evaluation of ovarian reserve in women with thyroid autoimmunity.

Objective: To compare the ovarian reserve of women of reproductive age with and without thyroid autoimmunity (TAI).

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records from an assisted reproduction clinic from February 2017 to December 2021. Women aged between18 and 47 years with data on antithyroperoxidase and antithyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibodies and assessment of ovarian reserve by anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC) were included.

Feasibility and safety of combined laparoscopic and transvaginal oocyte retrieval in a woman with vaginal recurrence of cervical adenocarcinoma: a case report.

Introduction: Oocyte cryopreservation is an established technique for fertility preservation in women diagnosed with cancer. However, some clinical scenarios may preclude the commonly used transvaginal approach to oocyte retrieval. In such cases, a laparoscopic approach may be required.

Live birth after single euploid frozen embryo transfer in a 39-year-old woman with high-grade mosaic Turner syndrome.

Objective: To describe the reproductive and obstetric outcomes of an intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy in an advanced reproductive-age woman with high-grade mosaic Turner syndrome.

Methods: Case report of a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with mosaic Turner Syndrome 45,X[90]/46,XX[10] karyotype who underwent fertilization treatment with blastocyst trophectoderm biopsy for preimplantation genetic testing using next-generation sequencing.

Result(s): Two of the four blastocysts biopsied were euploid.

A prospective longitudinal analysis of the predictors of amenorrhea after breast cancer chemotherapy: Impact of BRCA pathogenic variants.

Background: Better tools for post-chemotherapy amenorrhea risk assessment are needed for fertility preservation decision-making. Our aim was to determine the predictors of amenorrhea risk at 12 and 18 months post-chemotherapy in women with breast cancer.

Methods: 142 women with breast cancer were longitudinally followed for their menstrual changes at 6, 12, and 18 months after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy with an Anthracycline-Cyclophosphamide-based (AC-based) or Cyclophosphamide-Methotrexate +5-Fluorouracil regimen.

Risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in women with malignancies undergoing treatment with long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for fertility preservation: a systematic review.

Background: Fertility preservation is an important quality of life issue for women of reproductive age undergoing gonadotoxic treatment. The possibility of administering an adjuvant long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) with the aim of reducing the number of follicles susceptible to the effects of chemotherapy and thus reducing the risk of ovarian damage is considered in some international society guidelines, particularly in certain cancers such as breast cancer. Nowadays, the administration of long-acting GnRHa after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) for fertility preservation by cryopreservation of oocytes or embryos is increasingly used.

Ovarian transplantation with robotic surgery and a neovascularizing human extracellular matrix scaffold: a case series in comparison to meta-analytic data.

Objective: To report our experience with robot-assisted (RA) autologous cryopreserved ovarian tissue transplantation (ACOTT) with the use of a neovascularizing extracellular matrix scaffold.

Design: Case series with meta-analytic update.

Setting: Academic.

Impact of adjuvant chemotherapy or tamoxifen-alone on the ovarian reserve of young women with breast cancer.

Purpose: To determine the longitudinal impact of adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen-only treatments on the reproductive potential of women with breast cancer by using a sensitive ovarian reserve marker anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) as a surrogate.

Methods: One-hundred-and-forty-two women with a primary diagnosis of breast cancer were prospectively followed with serum AMH assessments before the initiation, and 12, 18 and 24 months after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy or the start of tamoxifen-only treatment. The chemotherapy regimens were classified into Anthracycline-Cyclophosphamide-based (AC-based) and Cyclophosphamide-Methotrexate + 5-Fluorouracil (CMF).

History, Evolution and Current State of Ovarian Tissue Auto-Transplantation with Cryopreserved Tissue: a Successful Translational Research Journey from 1999 to 2020.

The loss of fertility and early menopause are common after gonadotoxic therapies and radical pelvic surgery. The strategy of ovarian tissue cryopreservation and auto-transplantation was introduced to prevent this significant quality of health issue. Ovarian transplantation with cryopreserved tissue has gone through remarkable evolution in the last 20 years.

Defining Low Prognosis Patients Undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology: POSEIDON Criteria-The Why.

Women with impaired ovarian reserve or poor ovarian response (POR) to exogenous gonadotropin stimulation present a challenge for reproductive specialists. The primary reasons relate to the still limited knowledge about the POR pathophysiology and the lack of practical solutions for the management of these conditions. Indeed, clinical trials using the current standards to define POR failed to show evidence in favor of a particular treatment modality.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection for male infertility and consequences for offspring.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has become the most commonly used method of fertilization in assisted reproductive technology. The primary reasons for its popularity stem from its effectiveness, the standardization of the procedure, which means that it can easily be incorporated into the routine practice of fertility centres worldwide, and the fact that it can be used to treat virtually all forms of infertility. ICSI is the clear method of choice for overcoming untreatable severe male factor infertility, but its (over)use in other male and non-male factor infertility scenarios is not evidence-based.

Novel insights into the pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced damage to the ovary.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the USA and is considered a public health issue worldwide. Early diagnosis and advancement of treatment modalities contributed to declining mortality rates. Consequently, survival rates increased, leading to a greater interest in maintaining the quality of life after cancer treatment.

Ovarian Stimulation in Patients With Cancer: Impact of Letrozole and BRCA Mutations on Fertility Preservation Cycle Outcomes.

Background: Aromatase inhibitors (AI) have been introduced to reduce estrogen exposure in women with estrogen-sensitive cancer undergoing ovarian stimulation for oocyte/embryo cryopreservation. There have been questions regarding whether the addition of AI and the presence of BRCA mutations affect cycle outcomes. We sought to determine the impact of letrozole and BRCA mutations on fertility preservation (FP) cycle outcomes of patients undergoing ovarian stimulation with an antagonist protocol.

Chemotherapy-induced damage to ovary: mechanisms and clinical impact.

Cancer is a major public health problem around the world. Currently, about 5% of women diagnosed with cancer are of reproductive age. These young survivors may face compromised fertility.

First pregnancies, live birth, and in vitro fertilization outcomes after transplantation of frozen-banked ovarian tissue with a human extracellular matrix scaffold using robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery.

Background: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is an experimental fertility preservation method and the transplantation techniques are still evolving.

Objective: We attempted to improve the technique with the utility of a human decellularized extracellular tissue matrix (ECTM) scaffold, robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, and perioperative pharmacological support.

Study Design: We prospectively studied 2 subjects with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (patient A) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (patient B) who underwent ovarian tissue cryopreservation at the age of 23 years, before receiving preconditioning chemotherapy for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Fertility Preservation in Women with Turner Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review and Practical Guidelines.

In this article we review the existing fertility preservation options for women diagnosed with Turner syndrome and provide practical guidelines for the practitioner. Turner syndrome is the most common sex chromosome abnormality in women, occurring in approximately 1 in 2500 live births. Women with Turner syndrome are at extremely high risk for primary ovarian insufficiency and infertility.