Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Strategies to Maintain Fertility in Young Breast Cancer Patients

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Optimizing Breast Cancer Management

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 173))

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring cancer in women of reproductive age. Treatments for breast cancer may eliminate or diminish fertility, making discussions about fertility preservation essential prior to initiation of gonadotoxic therapies. Additionally, even in patients who do not require chemotherapy, the use of adjuvant endocrine therapy will often push patients out of the reproductive window before treatment is completed. The only established methods for fertility preservation are oocyte or embryo cryopreservation, but experimental methods, such as ovarian suppression with GnRH agonists and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, show great promise. Early referral to a fertility specialist for interested patients affords patients the most fertility preservation options, with only minimal delay to cancer treatment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. American Cancer Society (2015) Breast cancer facts & figures 2015-2016. American Cancer Society, Inc., Atlanta

    Google Scholar 

  2. Azim HA Jr, Kroman N, Paesmans M, Gelber S, Rotmensz N, Ameye L, De Mattos-Arruda L, Pistilli B, Pinto A, Jensen MB, Cordoba O, de Azambuja E, Goldhirsch A, Piccart MJ, Peccatori FA (2013) Prognostic impact of pregnancy after breast cancer according to estrogen receptor status: a multicenter retrospective study. J Clin Oncol 31(1):73–79

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bedoschi G, Oktay K (2013) Current approach to fertility preservation by embryo cryopreservation. Fertil Steril 99(6):1496–1502

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Boukaidi SA, Cooley A, Hardy A, Matthews L, Zelivianski S, Jeruss JS (2012) Impact of infertility regimens on breast cancer cells: follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone lack a direct effect on breast cell proliferation in vitro. Fertil Steril 97(2):440–444

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cakmak H, Rosen MP (2015) Random-start ovarian stimulation in patients with cancer. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 27(3):215–221

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Diaz de la Noval B (2016) Potential implications on female fertility and reproductive lifespan in BRCA germline mutation women. Arch Gynecol Obstet 294(5):1099–1103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Doyle JO, Richter KS, Lim J, Stillman RJ, Graham JR, Tucker MJ (2016) Successful elective and medically indicated oocyte vitrification and warming for autologous in vitro fertilization, with predicted birth probabilities for fertility preservation according to number of cryopreserved oocytes and age at retrieval. Fertil Steril 105(2):459–466 e452

    Google Scholar 

  8. Friedler S, Koc O, Gidoni Y, Raziel A, Ron-El R (2012) Ovarian response to stimulation for fertility preservation in women with malignant disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril 97(1):125–133

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Fritz M, Speroff L (2011) Clinical gynecologic endocrinology and infertility, 8th edn. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  10. Goldfarb SB, Kamer SA, Oppong BA, Eaton A, Patil S, Junqueira MJ, Olcese C, Kelvin JF, Gemignani ML (2016) Fertility preservation for the young breast cancer patient. Ann Surg Oncol 23(5):1530–1536

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Goncalves V, Quinn GP (2016) Review of fertility preservation issues for young women with breast cancer. Hum Fertil (Camb) 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  12. Jacobson MH, Mertens AC, Spencer JB, Manatunga AK, Howards PP (2016) Menses resumption after cancer treatment-induced amenorrhea occurs early or not at all. Fertil Steril 105(3):765–772 e764

    Google Scholar 

  13. Jeruss JS, Woodruff TK (2009) Preservation of fertility in patients with cancer. N Engl J Med 360(9):902–911. PMID: 19246362

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kasum M, von Wolff M, Franulic D, Cehic E, Klepac-Pulanic T, Oreskovic S, Juras J (2015) Fertility preservation options in breast cancer patients. Gynecol Endocrinol 31(11):846–851

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kim J, Oktay K, Gracia C, Lee S, Morse C, Mersereau JE (2012) Which patients pursue fertility preservation treatments? A multicenter analysis of the predictors of fertility preservation in women with breast cancer. Fertil Steril 97(3):671–676

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Lambertini M, Ginsburg ES, Partridge AH (2015) Update on fertility preservation in young women undergoing breast cancer and ovarian cancer therapy. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 27(1):98–107

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lee SJ, Schover LR, Partridge AH, Patrizio A, Wallace LN, Hagerty LV, Beck LN, Brennan LV, Oktay K, American Society of Clinical (2006) American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations on fertility preservation in cancer patients. J Clin Oncol 24(18):2917–2931

    Google Scholar 

  18. Llarena NC, Estevez SL, Tucker SL, Jeruss JS (2015) Impact of fertility concerns on tamoxifen initiation and persistence. JNCI J Natl Cancer Inst 107(10). PMID: 26307641

    Google Scholar 

  19. Loren AW, Mangu PB, Beck LN, Brennan L, Magdalinski AJ, Partridge AH, Quinn G, Wallace WH, Oktay K, American Society of Clinical (2013) Fertility preservation for patients with cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline update. J Clin Oncol 31(19):2500–2510

    Google Scholar 

  20. McCray DK, Simpson AB, Flyckt R, Liu Y, O’Rourke C, Crowe JP, Grobmyer SR, Moore HC, Valente SA (2016) Fertility in women of reproductive age after breast cancer treatment: practice patterns and outcomes. Ann Surg Oncol 23(10):3175–3181

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Oktay K, Kim JY, Barad D, Babayev SN (2009) Association of BRCA1 mutations with occult primary ovarian insufficiency: a possible explanation for the link between infertility and breast/ovarian cancer risks. J Clin Oncol 28(2):240–244

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Practice Committee of American Society for Reproductive (2013) Fertility preservation in patients undergoing gonadotoxic therapy or gonadectomy: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril 100(5):1214–1223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Practice Committee of American Society for Reproductive (2014) Ovarian tissue cryopreservation: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril 101(5):1237–1243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Prasath EB, Chan ML, Wong WH, Lim CJ, Tharmalingam MD, Hendricks M, Loh SF, Chia YN (2014) First pregnancy and live birth resulting from cryopreserved embryos obtained from in vitro matured oocytes after oophorectomy in an ovarian cancer patient. Hum Reprod 29(2):276–278

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Reddy J, Oktay K (2012) Ovarian stimulation and fertility preservation with the use of aromatase inhibitors in women with breast cancer. Fertil Steril 98(6):1363–1369

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Scanlon M, Blaes A, Geller M, Majhail NS, Lindgren B, Haddad T (2012) Patient satisfaction with physician discussions of treatment impact on fertility, menopause and sexual health among pre-menopausal women with cancer. J Cancer 3:217–225

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Turan V, Bedoschi G, Moy F, Oktay K (2013) Safety and feasibility of performing two consecutive ovarian stimulation cycles with the use of letrozole-gonadotropin protocol for fertility preservation in breast cancer patients. Fertil Steril 100(6):1681–1685 e1681

    Google Scholar 

  28. Waks AG, Partridge AH (2016) Fertility preservation in patients with breast cancer: necessity, methods, and safety. JNCCN 14(3):355–363

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Wallace WH, Thomson AB, Saran F, Kelsey TW (2005) Predicting age of ovarian failure after radiation to a field that includes the ovaries. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 62(3):738–744

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan Health Systems, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Elizabeth S. Constance & Molly B. Moravek

  2. Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Jacqueline S. Jeruss

  3. Division of Surgical Oncology, 3303 Cancer Center, 1500 East Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Jacqueline S. Jeruss

Authors
  1. Elizabeth S. Constance
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Molly B. Moravek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jacqueline S. Jeruss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacqueline S. Jeruss .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    William J. Gradishar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Constance, E.S., Moravek, M.B., Jeruss, J.S. (2018). Strategies to Maintain Fertility in Young Breast Cancer Patients. In: Gradishar, W. (eds) Optimizing Breast Cancer Management. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 173. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70197-4_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70197-4_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-70195-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-70197-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation