Many types of cancer deeply affect the reproductive system and can cause early menopause problems in women. Since treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy applied to cancer patients are effective on women's reproductive cells, many young cancer patients also face reproductive problems. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, which extend the lives of cancer patients, have a toxic effect on reproductive cells. These treatments cause a decrease in egg quality and number in women and a decrease in sperm motility and number in men. However, tissue storage and in vitro fertilization treatments enable women who have overcome cancer to have children.
Treatment Process
Before starting chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatments in female patients, approximately There is a period of six weeks. Meanwhile, the reproductive potential of cancer patients can be preserved using three different methods. In married couples, patients' eggs are fertilized by in vitro fertilization and embryos are created, and these embryos are frozen and stored. For patients who are not yet married, their egg cells are directly frozen and stored. The last method is to surgically remove and freeze the ovarian tissue containing the patient's primordial follicles. For male patients, there are three different methods such as sperm freezing, testicular tissue freezing and testicular preservation. People who have survived cancer have the chance to have a baby by reviving frozen tissues. The most commonly used method today is freezing the embryo. Storage of ovarian tissue is still in the experimental stage and is not easy to do everywhere, but it is considered a promising method.
Menstruation During the Treatment Process
In some cases Female patients may experience a return to normal in their menstrual cycle during chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment. However, returning the menstrual cycle to normal does not mean that the reproductive systems are working healthily. Although patients regain regular menstrual cycles after successful treatment, early menopause may occur. Another big thing about cancer treatment is eggs. The effect is chromosomal disorders. For this reason, people who have received cancer treatment should wait at least six months before starting in vitro fertilization treatment.
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