COH outcomes in breast cancer patients for fertility preservation: a comparison with the expected response by age

PurposeBreast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed during childbearing age, and fertility preservation is becoming increasingly more essential. However, recent studies indicate a possible poorer response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in cancer patients than in non-cancer controls and a negative impact of BRCA mutations on female fertility. This study aims to evaluate ovarian response and the number of mature oocytes (MII) vitrified in women with breast cancer, with or without BRCA mutation, comparing them to the expected response according to an age-related nomogram.MethodsThis is a retrospective observational study involving sixty-one breast cancer patients who underwent COH for oocyte cryopreservation. The age-specific nomogram was built using 3871 patients who underwent COH due to oocyte donation, fertility preservation for non-medical reasons, or FIVET for male factor exclusively.ResultsThe mean number of oocytes retrieved was 13.03, whereas the mean number of MII oocytes was 10.00. After the application of the z-score, no statistically significant differences were found compared with the expected response in the general population, neither by dividing patients according to the presence or absence of BRCA mutation nor according to the phase in which they initiated stimulation.ConclusionThe results obtained do not support the notion of a negative impact of the BRCA mutation on the ovarian response of women with breast cancer. Women with breast cancer undergoing COH for fertility preservation can expect the ovarian response predicted for their age.     

输卵管妊娠治疗方式及其对未来生育影响的研究进展

输卵管妊娠是一种临床常见的妇科急腹症。输卵管妊娠如能在包块尚未破裂前早期诊断，其相关的病死率大大降低。输卵管妊娠的治疗方式有很多，无论哪种治疗方式，都会导致患者生育功能的下降。临床中对于有生育要求的患者，选择哪种治疗方式更好地保护患者的生育功能并减少并发症仍是有争议的话题。近年有学者做了大量研究比较输卵管妊娠不同治疗方式的并发症及其对患者未来生育前景的影响，甚至提出更新的治疗方式以弥补传统治疗方式的不足。现就输卵管妊娠的治疗方式、并发症及对未来生育的影响的研究进展进行综述。     

What women want: Fertility sparing surgery in Borderline ovarian tumours patients and pregnancy outcome

ObjectiveBorderline ovarian tumours (BOTs) are characterized by the presence of cellular proliferation and nuclear atypia without stromal invasion. Compared to malignant ovarian tumours, BOTs have better prognoses. The most important treatment of BOT is surgery. Considering the good prognosis of BOT, fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) can be considered for young women who desire to preserve fertility. Our study evaluated the pregnancy rate in patients with childbearing desire, the efficacy and risk of recurrence of women affected by BOTs who have undergone FSS.Materials and methodsPatients characteristics have been restrospectively retrieved for diagnosis made from June 2000 to December 2017 from San Raffaele Hospital and Policlinico Cagliari. Patients underwent FSS for BOT were interviewed about child wishing and pregnancy outcomes.Results85 patients were recruited for the study. Median age at diagnosis was 33 years. Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed in 33 patients (38%), unilateral cystectomy in 40 (47%) and 12 underwent both procedures (14%). 40 women (50%) tried to conceive after surgery. The pregnancy rate was 73% and live birth rate was 67%. Childbearing desire and age at diagnosis were significantly associated with the pregnancy rate.ConclusionsConservative surgical treatment seems to be a reasonable therapeutic option for women with BOTs who wish to preserve fertility. Our results suggest that the obstetric outcomes after FSS are promising. Maternal desire and the age of diagnosis are the most important factors affecting PR after surgery. Fertility counselling should be an integral part of the clinical management of women with BOT.     

40岁以上高龄女性体外受精-胚胎移植妊娠结局分析

目的：探讨40岁以上高龄女性体外受精-胚胎移植（IVF-ET）的妊娠结局，旨在为高龄女性提供生育咨询以及为改善高龄女性个体化辅助生殖治疗结局提供临床依据。方法：选择我院生殖中心2015年1月—2017年12月女方年龄≥40岁且使用自身卵子行体外受精的共2 467个治疗周期资料，对各项临床数据进行回顾性分析。结果：40岁及以上行辅助生殖治疗的患者，随着女性年龄增加获卵数明显减少（40～48岁女性平均获卵数分别为2.97、 2.69、2.17、2.01、1.77、1.61、1.68、1.29和1.00，44～48岁与40～43岁依次组间比较均P＜0.05），尤其是44岁以上女性胚胎发育潜能明显降低（40～48岁囊胚形成率分别为48.90%、43.72%、33.67%、34.29%、24.39%、21.14%、26.32%、16.67%和0%，44～48岁与40～43岁组间依次比较均P＜0.05）。共有518个周期行新鲜胚胎移植，结果显示，随女性年龄增加，临床妊娠率（40～48岁临床妊娠率分别为26.92%、21.15%、20.79%、10.96%、18.87%、11.11%、5.88%、0%和0%，43～48岁与40～42岁组间依次比较均P＜0.05）、种植率（40～48岁种植率分别为23.65%、19.51%、17.70%、8.54%、7.49%、10.81%、5.56%、0%和0%，43～48岁与40～42岁组间依次比较均P＜0.05）和活产率均显著降低（40～46岁活产率分别为18.46%、10.58%、9.90%、5.48%、5.66%、2.78%和5.88%，43～46岁与40～42岁组间依次比较均P＜0.05），43岁以上者结局更差。44岁以上女性自然流产率明显增高（40～45岁流产率分别为31.43%、50.00%、52.38%、50.00%、70.00%和75.00%，44～45岁与40～43岁组间依次比较均P＜0.05）。46岁女性仅1例妊娠并分娩，47岁和48岁女性均无成功妊娠。与抗苗勒管激素（AMH）＞1.0 ng/mL组相比，AMH≤1.0 ng/mL组妊娠率、种植率及活产率均显著下降（27.04% vs. 14.74%，22.99% vs. 13.50%，15.88% vs. 7.37%；均P＜0.05），流产率明显升高（41.27% vs. 50.00%，P＜0.05）。结论：≥40岁高龄女性随年龄增长生育力逐渐降低。40～43岁年龄段女性助孕仍有一定的价值，尤其是卵巢仍有一定储备者（AMH＞1.0 ng/mL），但44岁以上女性原则上不再建议ART助孕，对于46岁以上卵巢功能衰竭的女性强烈建议卵子捐赠或收养。     

精索静脉曲张症不育患者结扎术前后精液质量变化的观察

目的：了解精索内静脉高位结扎术对精索静脉曲张症不育患精液质量的影响。方法：对近三年我院诊治精索静脉曲张症不育患35例，术前、术后精液质量进行比较。结果：术后患精子密度、精子活动率及正常形态精子均明显改善。结论：精索内静脉高位结扎术能提高精索静脉曲张症不育患的生育力。     

Fertility in Persons with Epilepsy: 1935–1974

Data from the Rochester-Olmsted County Medical Records Linkage Project were utilized to assess fertility in persons with epilepsy. Population age-specific reproduction rates for Rochester residents for the years 1935-1974 were estimated using the number of live births from the Minnesota Department of Health Statistics and Vital Statistics of the U.S. for comparison with rates in affected persons. Overall, fertility rates were significantly reduced to 80% of expected for affected males and 85% for affected females. Individuals with partial seizures (simple and complex) were disadvantaged, whereas those with generalized onset were not. During the last 20 years of the study period, males were more disadvantaged than females. The male-female difference was greatest during the time of low population fertility (after 1965). Male deficits were more marked after diagnosis; female deficits were more marked before diagnosis. Differences in the proportion of ever-married person-years between the sexes only partially explain the observed differences.     

Fertility in patients with multiple sclerosis: current knowledge and future perspectives

Abstract The issue of fertility in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been exhaustively studied. Epidemiological data have suggested that spontaneous fecundity might be reduced; several endocrine and sexual disturbances potentially interfering with reproduction have been evidenced in MS patients of both sexes. Moreover, some medical treatments used in MS (e. g., mitoxantrone, cyclophosphamide) may exert detrimental effects on spermatozoa as well as on oocytes, leading to early impairment of fertility. This review illustrates the factors potentially interfering with fertility in MS and discusses the therapeutic tools that may be used to promote fertility in these patients. The safety of hormonal therapies in MS is also examined. The current applications of assisted reproductive technology (ART) are discussed, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF) techniques. Currently available methods to preserve fertility in patients that undergo cytotoxic treatments by means of sperm/oocyte cryostorage or by ovarian fragment cryopreservation and autografting are considered.