Successful fertility preservation by oocyte vitrification in a cancer patient: a case report

an essential part of comprehensive care for increasing number of young female survivors of malignant diseases is the preservation of fertility. Recent improvement in cryopreservation of metaphase II oocytes may offer a solution with minimum invasiveness and without the risk of transfer of malignant cells. Materials and Methods: after the third recurrence of a bilateral borderline serous papillary ovarian carcinoma, a 23-year-old female patient was enrolled for fertility preservation before bilateral surgical cystectomy. After a mini flare-up stimulation protocol and hCG triggering 6 metaphase II oocytes were recovered and vitrified. Three years later secondary premature ovarian failure was diagnosed. After four years of storage the oocytes were warmed for in vitro fertilisation. Results: four oocytes survived cryopreservation, and 2 of them fertilised after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. One embryo developed to 8-cell stage and was transferred to the uterus, resulting in a healthy boy weighing 4,110 g at week 41. A paediatric follow up of three years was performed. Conclusions: this study reports the birth after oocyte vitriifcation in a patient with malignant disease. The increasing number of success proves the feasibility of oocyte vitrification to preserve fertility before cancer therapy with risk of subsequent ovarian failure and/or chromosome damage.