Fertility preservation in female children with cancer, opportunities and threats

 In recent years, the number of children who are saved from cancer has increased. But many patients who undergo oncological treatments suffer permanent gonadal damage caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This review is done with the aim of introducing the latest research achievements and introducing the selective option of fertility preservation for female children with cancer.

 To compile this review article, a search was conducted using the keywords fertility preservation & malignancy/cancer & children in Pub Med, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases. The articles from among the studies conducted and available in the years (2009-2023) that were on human female children and in English, were selected by the researcher after collecting and studying.

According to the results of the latest published studies, girls who receive gonadotoxic treatment after puberty and are at risk of acute ovarian failure should consider oocyte cryopreservation or embryo freezing before starting the treatment, but the best available option for female children patients with cancer who have not yet reached the age of puberty, freeze the ovarian tissue before starting gonadotoxic treatments and re-implantation after recovery. Of course, if the patient is suffering from metastatic ovarian cancer, this method cannot be used and the immature oocyte development method should be used in the laboratory environment.

Providing correct advice on the available recipes to preserve fertility in children along with appropriate access and referral of sick children before the start of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, ensures that patients benefit from the available options