Fertility Preservation in Cancer Patients: Review Article

Background: Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, which are cancer treatments, can potentially impair fertility significantly and present significant challenges to cancer patients presenting for diagnosis during their reproductive years. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery can result in temporary or permanent infertility and undermine the reproductive potential of cancer survivors.
Aim: This in-depth review examined the current status of fertility preservation in patients with cancer, with a focus on recent advancements, ongoing challenges, and prognosis of fertility outcome.
Methods: Data were collected from online review articles and papers from the PubMed, Science direct and Google scholar for both male and female fertility preservation techniques, such as embryo and oocyte cryopreservation, sperm banking, and emerging techniques like testicular and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, were addressed in the review. Ethical concerns are also dealt with in the review, including the use of oncofertility counseling and the importance of interdisciplinarity for improved patient outcomes. The authors also reviewed references from pertinent literature, however only the most recent or comprehensive studies from 2004 to 2025 were included. Documents in languages other than English were disqualified due to lack of translation-related sources. Papers such as unpublished manuscripts, oral presentations, conference abstracts, and dissertations that were not part of larger scientific studies were excluded.
Conclusion: Fertility preservation consists of medical and surgical interventions intended to preserve reproductive potential before, during, or after cancer treatment. Techniques of embryo and oocyte cryopreservation, sperm banking, and ovarian and testicular tissue cryopreservation showed varying success. Oncofertility counseling and multidisciplinary care enhance patient decision-making and outcomes, although difficulties regarding accessibility and ethics remain. Continued research and development of biotechnologies are necessary to optimize the effectiveness and availability of fertility preservation, bringing hope to cancer survivors for achieving reproductive goals.