During the last decades, the rapid increase in the number of cancer diagnoses, as well as the growing number of cured patients, underscores the importance of managing the long-term side effects of treatment. The risk of gonadal failure is a major issue for both oncologists and young patients as it dramatically affects the quality of life.

Several options are now available to preserve fertility in women and remarkable progress has been made in this field, although many procedures remain experimental. The available options can be divided in different categories according to their approaches to preserve fertility. The first approach is to reduce the gonadotoxicity of the oncological treatment with the intention to preserve the ovarian function and future natural fertility. The options to achieve this include manipulation of the chemotherapy regimen when feasible, concomitant administration of pharmacological agents that could reduce gonadotoxicity, and surgical techniques that preserve fertility such as ovarian transposition.

The second approach is to cryopreserve gametes in order to later restore fertility. The options to achieve this include the cryopreservation of embryos, mature oocytes, in vitro matured oocytes, or ovarian cortex. The indications for these procedures vary according to many factors such as the type of treatment, the disease, and the patient's age. Moreover, the possibility of future fertility restoration without affecting the prognosis of the patient remains a major concern. The objective of this special issue is to provide an overview of the most recent developments in this field. Articles focusing on new experimental procedures are welcomed. In addition, papers dealing with the concern of the association of cancer and pregnancy would be also of great interest. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Infertility risks after oncological treatment
• Reducing gonadotoxicity of chemotherapy using pharmacological approach
• Indication of surgery for preventing infertility
• Ovarian stimulation protocol in cancer patients
• Vitrification of in vitro matured oocytes in cancer patients
• Cryopreservation and transplantation of ovarian tissue
• In vitro culture of ovarian tissue
• Psychological aspect of fertility preservation for cancer patients
• Pregnancy and disease outcome in cancer patients

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