Fertility Preservation: Current and Future Perspectives for Oncologic Patients at Risk for Iatrogenic Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

Table 1

Options for fertility preservation (FP).

FP option	Pros	Cons
GnRH agonists co-administration during oncologic treatments	(i) Some medical benefits	(i) Uncertain efficacy as FP option; (ii) Potential relevant side effects
Oophoropexy	(i) Relatively simple and quick laparoscopic surgical procedure	(i) Useful only in patients undergoing pelvic radiotherapy
Embryo cryopreservation	(i) Well established and reliable FP technique; (ii) No risk of reimplanting malignant cells	(i) Only feasible in post-puberal women with a male partner; (ii) Requires time for COS; (iii) Does not restore fertility but only chance of pregnancy
Oocyte cryopreservation	(i) Well established and reliable FP technique; (ii) Also feasible in single women; (iii) No risk of reimplanting malignant cells	(i) Requires time for COS; (ii) Does not restore fertility but only chance of pregnancy; (iii) Only feasible in post-puberal women
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and grafting	(i) Also feasible in pre-puberal girls; (ii) Do not delay oncologic treatments; (iii) Restore ovarian function	(i) Age limitations (<35-36 yrs); (ii) Invasive surgical procedure under general anesthesia; (iii) Considered experimental as FP option at present