Fertility preservation in young patients with ovarian cancer – a retrospective analysis of patients from a university hospital and from the FertiPROTEKT network

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is generally depicted as being a rare disease, however with the highest mortality rate. Nevertheless, women of fertile age must be informed about the possibility of fertility preserving surgery and fertility preservation methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of the different histological types of ovarian tumours in young women and to determine and discuss the possibility of fertility preservation. This is a retrospective analysis of all patients under the age of 40 who presented to the University Hospital for Women in Tuebingen for an ovarian tumour between January 2001 and December 2010, including data from the FertiPROTEKT network. The patient's age and pregnancy history, the type of surgery, subsequent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, were considered. A total of 51 patients were treated in Tuebingen within this period. The mean age of the patients was 29.3 years. 41.2% patients underwent primary fertility preserving surgery. A total hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy was performed primarily in 58.8% of the women. In the fertility preservation surgery group, 52.4% received adjuvant chemotherapy. After successful treatment, a total of seven pregnancies were recorded in five patients. From the FertiPROTEKT network, 26/41 patients (63.4%) decided to undergo fertility preservation. There were no complications and postponement of chemotherapy in any patients as a result of the fertility preservation procedures. With careful consideration of the risks, the correct indication and diligent aftercare, the realisation of conception is possible also for patients with ovarian cancer.