MAINTENANCE OF FERTILITY IN ONCOLOGY PATIENTS

Abstract

The increase in cancer cases among young women represents a significant challenge for public health today. Beyond the clinical and emotional implications of the disease, there is growing concern about preserving fertility after cancer treatment, an essential factor in ensuring quality of life for these patients. In recent decades, important therapeutic advances have been achieved: more conservative surgeries, and increasingly effective radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Even so, these approaches can cause severe and often irreversible damage to female reproductive function. Therefore, a deep understanding of the effects of these treatments on fertility becomes indispensable. Furthermore, it is necessary to evaluate the role of reproductive preservation techniques, both established and emerging, as strategies to ensure the possibility of future conception. This study, therefore, seeks to analyze the impacts of the main cancer treatments on ovarian function and discuss the available alternatives to protect the reproductive potential of young women diagnosed with cancer.