Female fertility preservation in cancer patients: an instrumental tool for the envisioning a postdisease life

Abstract

ABSTRACT:  Aim: To verify whether fertility preservation (FP) improves the way women contemplate their life after the disease. Materials & methods: 285 cancer patients referred for FP counseling were prospectively studied. A standardized questionnaire was submitted to all participants. Results: A total of 85 patients (39.0%) returned the questionnaire. None of the women who rejected the FP proposal after oncofertility counseling returned the questionnaire. The median age of responders was 29.1 years (range: 18–40 years). In total, 35 of them (41.1%) were single and 72 (84.7%) were childless. A total of 66 women (77.6%) reported that the possibility of preserving fertility was instrumental to improving their coping with the burden of treatments. Since 61.2% patients perceived their cryopreserved oocytes or embryos as future children or family, the projection in a postdisease life may be at play in this improved subjective experience of treatment. Conclusion: The present results indicate that the simple fact of undergoing FP improves the patients’ subjective experience of cancer treatments.