Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology
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Gynecol. Endocrinol. · Dec 2012
ReviewFertility preservation for women with malignant diseases: ethical aspects and risks.
As cancer treatment becomes more and more effective, there is greater life expectancy for cancer patients. Because of this, depending upon the modality used in the treatment of cancer, the matter of infertility emerges before us as an issue of increasing significance. Sperm cryopreservation and embryo cryopreservation are well-established methods of fertility preservation (FP). ⋯ The advances in this branch of medicine, however, have also brought about new ethical, medical and legal issues. Some of these include problems with obtaining the informed consent of minors, issues that arise because of the experimental nature of some methods, financial problems and the accessibility of FP methods, and the question of what happens to gametes when a patient dies. This review seeks to discuss, in the light of current literature, some ethical and technical issues and risks related to the implementation of FP methods in women with cancer.