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Pregnancy Is Possible After Cancer Treatment

Date:
April 24, 2008
Source:
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International
Summary:
It has been reported for the first time in Germany that healthy ovarian tissue has been taken from a nonpregnant woman with cancer and then reimplanted after cancer therapy. The patient is now 32-years-old, and could become pregnant as a result.
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It has been reported for the first time in Germany that healthy ovarian tissue has been taken from a non-pregnant woman with cancer and then re-implanted after cancer therapy. The patient is now 32 years old and could become pregnant as a result.

Anal carcinoma was diagnosed in this young patient in 2004 and chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy was recommended. As the ovaries lie near to the tumor, they are often damaged by therapy of this sort and the women become infertile.

The Erlangen physicians succeeded in removing healthy ovarian tissue from the woman before treatment and to freeze it. The patient was then given the recommended cancer treatment. She tolerated this well and has not suffered any relapse.

On the other hand, her menstrual periods had stopped, in spite of hormone treatment, for two years. For this reason, the patient's conserved ovarian material was inserted endoscopically into her pelvis. She subsequently reported her first menstruation. After this operation, it may be possible for her to become pregnant, although this has not happened yet.

The authors consider that the affected patients should be provided with more information, so that they are aware of this possibility of retaining fertility.

This case is described by Ralf Dittrich and his colleagues from Erlangen University Hospital in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2008; 105[15]: 274-8).


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Materials provided by Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. "Pregnancy Is Possible After Cancer Treatment." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 April 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423115925.htm>.
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. (2008, April 24). Pregnancy Is Possible After Cancer Treatment. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423115925.htm
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International. "Pregnancy Is Possible After Cancer Treatment." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423115925.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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