Abstracto

Fertility Sparing Options in Gynecologic Oncology

Fabio Martinelli

Traditionally, and according to actual guidelines,  cancers affecting female genital organs are treated with radical surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or a combination of the above mentioned, all bearing a permanent damage of the female reproductive tract. Anyway, facing with a continuous trend in postponing childbearing and the early detection of gynecologic cancers, there has been a vast increase in the number of patients seeking fertility preserving options for the treatment of gynecologic malignancies. Of the 6.6 million cancers occurring worldwide in female population, 1.09 million (16%) affects the female genital organs and up to 20% will be diagnosed in women of reproductive age. As many as 15-45% of cervical cancers, 5-29% of endometrial cancers, and 12-34% of primary ovarian malignancies will be found in women eligible for fertility preservation. It is not surprising so the increase interest in oncofertility discipline. Even if not yet considered as “standard treatments”, there are continuously emerging data on fertility sparing options available in gynecologic oncology. In the present paper we briefly review current options for women desiring fertility-sparing treatment of gynecologic malignancies.