The fertility preservation in cancer and systemic illness
Cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy) often leads to ovarian and testicular insufficiency. It happens because gonads are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of chemotherapy.
As a result, many patients lose a chance to have biological offspring. A medical solution is to undergo several special medical procedures called “fertility preservation”.
They allow the preservation of fertility among female cancer survivors. The choice of the right method depends on her age, current life situation, and time left to the beginning of cancer treatment.
M
What are the methods of fertility preservation for women?
Embryos freezing
Embryo freezing is offered to couples in a stable relationship. A couple trying to have a baby has to prepare for IVF before chemo- or radiotherapy starts. The embryos (eggs fertilized with sperm) are frozen. After the cancer treatment, they can be transferred to the woman’s uterus.
Oocyte vitrification
This method is used among patients of reproductive age. Only the oocytes which could be fertilized in vitro in the future shall be frozen. It requires prior pharmacological stimulation of ovulation to obtain mature oocytes.
This method is also used among women who wish to postpone motherhood. Previously frozen oocytes increase the chance of successful IVF in women older than 35.
Ovarian tissue freezing
It is a relatively new but promising method of female fertility preservation. So far, thanks to this method, several hundreds of children have been born around the world. During a laparoscopy, a small piece of an ovary is cut off. Then the ovarian tissue is frozen. After complete recovery from cancer, the previously banked ovarian tissue is re-implanted. This method does not require prior hormonal stimulation, and it can be used in prepubertal girls. Interestingly, about half of the women who used this method conceived naturally. The remaining patients required the use of ARTs.
How to preserve male fertility?
Every man has the option of freezing his sperm in the bank:
- before initiation cancer therapy,
- before urological procedures that may reduce sperm production,
- before insemination or IVF with poor sperm parameters to increase the number of sperm,
- before insemination or IVF, if men cannot be present during these procedures or struggle to produce a semen sample, it is possible to deposit and freeze semen beforehand.
Before depositing the semen, the following tests should be performed:
- microbiological,
- hormonal,
- semen analysis.
-
OOCYTE FREEZING – FERTILITY PRESERVATION 5200 zł
- The first consultation with evaluation for the procedure – 250 PLN
- Compulsory and recommended tests for a patient – PLN 200 PLN*
- Tests during the stimulation, the anesthetic package, NAT test on puncture day (pair) –400 PLN
- Cycle monitoring – 400 PLN**
- Oocyte retrieval with anesthesia and anaesthetic care –1750 PLN
- Oocyte freezing + storage for 1 year – 2200 PLN
TOTAL: maximum 5200 PLN
IT DOES NOT INCLUDE:
- The costs of medications
- The costs of oocyte storage after the first year
* The given cost is the maximum amount. The cost of the tests depends on whether or not patients have current labs.
** The costs of cycle monitoring depend on the process of treatment. The given cost is the amount for the averaged number of ultrasound scans.
-
OOCYTE VITRIFICATION + STORAGE FOR 1 YEAR 2200 zł
-
OOCYTE VITRIFICATION DURING IVF 1100 zł
-
FREEZING OF SEMEN + STORAGE FOR 1 YEAR 600 zł
-
FREEZING OF EMBRYO + STORAGE FOR 1 YEAR – FIRST EMBRYO 700 zł
-
FREEZING OF EMBRYOS + STORAGE FOR 1 YEAR – PER EMBRYO 400 zł
-
OOCYTE STORAGE – EVERY NEXT YEAR 550 zł
-
STORAGE OF SEMEN – EVERY NEXT YEAR 350 zł
-
STORAGE OF EMBRYOS – EVERY NEXT YEAR 500 zł
