The Oncologist, Vol. 10, No. 8, 613-622, September 2005; doi:10.1634/theoncologist.10-8-613 © 2005 AlphaMed Press
Fertility-Sparing Options for Patients with Gynecologic Malignanciesa Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Womens Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA; b Gynecology Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA Correspondence: Dennis S. Chi, M.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Gynecology Service, Department of Surgery, 1275 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA. Telephone: 212-639-5016; Fax: 212-717-3214; e-mail: chid{at}mskcc.org
Gynecologic malignancies are most often diagnosed in postmenopausal women, but these malignancies also arise in premenopausal women, in whom issues of fertility can be a major concern. An increasing number of women are delaying childbearing. This has led to a significant increase in the number of women diagnosed with a gynecologic malignancy before desired completion of childbearing. Many of the standard treatments for these malignancies result in permanent sterility; however, there are now options for select young women who desire to preserve fertility. Patients should be told that data on fertility-sparing procedures are limited and that many of these options are of an experimental, nonstandard nature. The care of these patients is challenging and complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach, which should include gynecologic oncologists, reproductive endocrinologists, and perinatologists.
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