Good results for ovary transplants

Wednesday October 7th, 2015

Ovarian transplants can be both safe and effective, Danish researchers report today.

A team led by Dr Annette Jensen of the Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark, explain in the Human Reproduction journal that overall cancer survival is rising, and "many young patients can now have a realistic hope of living a normal life following recovery."

This has created an awareness of quality-of-life aspects after cancer treatment, with fertility being an important issue for many girls and young women, they state. "Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is now gaining ground as a valid method for fertility preservation," they write. "More than 36 children worldwide have now been born following this procedure."

The team looked at outcomes from 41 Danish women who had thawed ovarian tissue transplanted 53 times over a period of ten years. They say that 31% of the women who wanted a pregnancy were able to successfully become pregnant.

"The tissue remained functional for close to ten years in some cases and lasted only a short period in others," they write, adding: "Three relapses occurred but were unlikely to be due to the transplanted tissue."

They add: "Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is likely to become integrated into the treatment of young women with cancer, who run a risk of losing their fertility. The full functional lifespan of grafts is still being evaluated, because many of the transplanted women have continued to maintain ovarian activity. Some of our first cases have had tissue functioning for ten years."

Dr Jensen commented: "As awareness of quality of life after cancer treatment has increased and techniques for removing, freezing, storing and then transplanting ovarian tissue have developed, fertility preservation is increasingly becoming an integral part of treatment."

Jensen, A. K. et al. Outcomes of transplantations of cryopreserved ovarian tissue to 41 women in Denmark. Human Reproduction 7 October 2015; doi:10.1093/humrep/dev230

Tags: Cancer | Childbirth and Pregnancy | Europe | Transplant | Women's Health & Gynaecology

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