Freezing fertility gives hope for cancer survivors

Dr Aruna Ashok, Fertility Consultant at Nova IVI Fertility, says, “The advancements in cancer treatment for haematological and breast cancers, especially in stage 1 and 2, have improved the chances of long-term survival of men and women. Therapy in the form of chemotherapy, radiation or surgery can hamper the chances of both men and women having children.” 

Although the focus on oocyte cryopreservation has been due to postponement of pregnancy among women for reasons like career and late marriages, Dr Priya Selvaraj, Infertologist, GG Hospitals, says that oocyte preservation has been designed to help those who have undergone treatment for cancer early in life. “The real reason for people concentrating on fertility preservation is cancer.” 

Dr Aruna says that there have been cases when within a year of marriage, one of the partners is diagnosed with cancer. “In case of the man being diagnosed with cancer, the sperm can be preserved by the next two to three days of diagnosis,” she says, adding that sperm production improves after treatment, but in some cases it could take longer than usual time. 

However, for women, oocyte preservation involves a woman’s eggs (oocytes in case of single women) being extracted, frozen and stored. When the treatment is complete, the eggs can be thawed, fertilised and transferred to the uterus as embryos. “The cost for preserving semen is around Rs 5,000 per year. However, for women it is on the expensive side and can cost around a lakh,” she adds. 

Professor Dr Anitha Ramesh, Head, Oncology, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, says that preservation can be a boon for younger men and women.

“For women, ovum cannot be preserved, like an embryo in the case of IVF procedure. The fertility of women who want to have a baby after cancer treatment can be preserved through ovary cryopreservation and ovary transposition, a surgical manoeuvre used to protect ovarian function before radiation therapy,” she explains. 

Dr Aruna adds that the procedure can be helpful for couples who want to have children, due to an unforeseen ailment like cancer. “It is not a trend, but still an alternative. We have couples who seek donors. Preserving their egg or semen would have enabled them to have their own children, after going through treatment for cancer,” she says.