Ovarian reserve, response to gonadotropins, and oocyte maturity in women with malignancy

Objective: To study the ovarian reserve, ovarian response to gonadotropins, and oocyte maturity in women with cancer undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) before chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Design: Case-control study. Setting: University teaching hospital. Patient(s): We evaluated all women with malignancy who underwent fertility preservation from the year 2003 to 2010. We compared 41 women with cancer undergoing IVF treatment with a control group of 48 age-matched women undergoing IVF for male factor infertility with the same protocol. Intervention(s): In vitro fertilization. Main Outcome Measures(s): Ovarian reserve, ovarian response to gonadotropins, number of oocytes retrieved, and oocyte maturity. Result(s): There were no significant differences in age, antral follicle count, serum FSH, total dose of gonadotropins required for stimulation, duration of stimulation, or peak E(2) levels on the day of hCG administration between women with cancer and the control group. No significant differences were observed in the number of retrieved oocytes between the malignancy and control groups. The percentages of mature oocytes in patients with hematologic malignancy (83.3%), gynecologic and intestinal malignancy (94%), and brain cancer (86%) and in the control group (82.1%) were similar, as were the fertilization rates. Conclusion(s): In young women with malignancy, ovarian reserve, response to gonadotropins, oocytes retrieved, and oocyte maturity remain unaltered by the neoplastic process. This is in contrast to the impairment of spermatogenesis before therapy in men with cancer. (Fertil Steril (R) 2011;96:122-5. (C)2011 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)