Cancer and fertility: state of the art and future directions

Abstract

Early menopause and infertility are common consequences of antineoplastic treatments in premenopausal women. Since the ability to have biological children is of great importance for cancer survivors, the risk of infertility is a source of great distress and lower quality of life among these patients. Several procedures can be presented to both men and women at the time of diagnosis. Despite increasing awareness, fertility in cancer is not universally discussed, in spite of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) latest recommendations. This review summarized and contextualized the existing research that has been conducted on oncofertility, while reflecting on future research and clinical directions, aiming to optimize patient care.