Cancer treatment and the ovary - The effects of chemotherapy and radiation

Certain chemotherapeutic drugs (alkylators) and radiation therapy are toxic to the ovaries, leading to both loss of sex steroid hormone production and infertility. Higher doses and older age at treatment are both associated with greater damage. Even patients with spontaneous menstrual cycles have evidence of decreased ovarian potential. Adolescents who are treated for cancer with these agents should be counseled about future fertility risks.