Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2016; 76 - P237
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1592769

Fertility characteristics of female oncological patients after fertility preservation counseling

A Freis 1, C Diesend 2, J Hartmann 3, E Capp 1, T Strowitzki 1, A Germeyer 1, M Goeckenjan 2
  • 1Universitätsfrauenklinik Heidelberg, Gynäkologische Endokrinologie und Fertilitätsstörungen, Heidelberg, Deutschland
  • 2Klinik und Poliklinik für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, Dresden, Deutschland
  • 3Universitätsfrauenklinik Heidelberg, Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Heidelberg, Deutschland

Aim: Long term analysis of menstrual cycle characteristics and fertility rates in young female cancer survivors after gonadotoxic therapy.

Material/Methods: This is a retrospective study after fertility preservation counseling prior to oncological treatment conducted in two German university hospitals. A questionnaire addressing menstrual cycle characteristics, family planning and therapy outcome was sent to 404 women during the mean follow-up period of 3.2 years after the diagnosis of cancer. 22 participants (5.4%) died. 139 of 382 women returned the questionnaire (36.4% response rate).

Results: The mean age was 29.1 years (± 6.9). 43.8% of the patients had breast cancer, 29.5% Hodgkin lymphomas. 44 women tried to conceive, of whom 52.3% (n = 23) got pregnant after therapy. 17 women (74%) conceived spontaneously. All women showed a high satisfaction (3,56 ± 1,2, rating scale 0 – 5) with counseling and recommendations on fertility protection. Overall 38.9% of women reported a chemotherapy induced amenorrhea (CIA) or irregular cycles after chemotherapy. Women who were diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma had a significant lower risk of a permanent CIA compared to all other malignancies (OR 0.30 [0.10 – 0,89]).

Conclusion: Our results show that female cancer survivors wishing to conceive have a high spontaneous pregnancy rate. This is a very important information for proper counselling. However, menstrual cycle disorders are common, underlining the need for fertility preservation techniques. Limitations of this study include the low response rate and the self-reported medical data, which could only be cross-checked in part against medical charts.