Course / Fertility Preservation
Fertility preservation refers to medical and laboratory techniques designed to protect and store reproductive potential before a patient undergoes cancer therapy or any treatment likely to impair fertility.
Chemotherapy, radiation, or pelvic surgery can destroy oocytes, sperm, or reproductive tissue. By freezing eggs, embryos, sperm, or ovarian/testicular tissue before treatment, reproductive potential can be safely maintained for future use.
At its core, fertility preservation is a proactive, time-sensitive intervention that bridges oncology and reproductive medicine. It allows individuals to proceed with life-saving cancer therapy without losing the possibility of biological parenthood.
Core Modalities
Oocyte Cryopreservation:
The most established option for women.
Involves controlled ovarian stimulation (typically 8–12 days), oocyte retrieval, and vitrification (ultra-rapid freezing).
Embryo Cryopreservation:
Similar to egg freezing but fertilization with partner or donor sperm occurs before freezing.
Sperm Cryopreservation:
A well-established, rapid, and inexpensive option for men, achievable even hours before chemotherapy begins.
Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation:
A surgical option for prepubertal girls or women unable to undergo stimulation; cortical ovarian tissue is excised and frozen.
Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation:
Experimental but increasingly considered for prepubertal boys when ejaculated sperm cannot be obtained.
Professional objective: Maintain viable gametes or tissue that can later be used in IVF or surrogacy, depending on post-treatment reproductive function.
Fertility preservation sits at the intersection of oncology and reproductive medicine and must be integrated seamlessly into cancer treatment planning.
Timing is critical — ideally, fertility consultation occurs immediately after diagnosis and before any gonadotoxic therapy begins.
Integration Points
At Cancer Diagnosis (Pre-Treatment):
Oncologists should refer all reproductive-age patients for urgent fertility assessment.
The fertility team initiates expedited evaluation (AMH, AFC, semen analysis) and recommends appropriate preservation options.
During Treatment Planning:
Coordination ensures that fertility procedures do not delay cancer therapy.
Random-start ovarian stimulation protocols or same-day sperm banking are standard to minimize time loss.
Post-Treatment Follow-Up:
Reproductive endocrinologists reassess fertility status and determine how or when preserved material may be used for conception.
Clinical Integration Within Surrogacy4All Framework
For cancer survivors who cannot carry a pregnancy due to uterine damage, ongoing medication, or health risks, Surrogacy4All provides gestational surrogacy options using previously frozen embryos or oocytes — completing the family-building continuum after cancer recovery.
Fertility preservation safeguards the biological potential for reproduction, allowing future use of gametes or embryos when natural conception is no longer possible.
From an expert standpoint, fertility preservation accomplishes several objectives:
1. Reproductive Autonomy
It ensures patients retain control over their reproductive future, including the choice to conceive genetically related offspring post-treatment.
2. Continuity of Care
It integrates oncologic safety with reproductive planning — demonstrating that fertility need not be sacrificed for cancer survival.
3. Clinical Outcomes
Egg and embryo vitrification: High post-thaw survival (>90%) and successful live birth rates comparable to fresh cycles.
Sperm cryopreservation: Decades of proven efficacy with pregnancies reported even after 20+ years of storage.
Ovarian tissue transplantation: >200 live births worldwide; promising but still considered specialized.
4. Foundation for Assisted Reproduction
Banked gametes or embryos are later used in IVF, ICSI, or surrogacy cycles — enabling:
Genetic continuity
Use of gestational carriers where indicated
Compatibility with preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A/PGT-M)
In essence: Fertility preservation transforms immediate medical crisis into long-term reproductive security.
The fertility preservation process varies by sex and technique but generally involves rapid evaluation, consent, collection, and cryostorage.
The goal is to complete the process without delaying cancer treatment.
For Female Patients
Consultation & Workup:
AMH, antral follicle count, infectious disease screening.
Discussion of stimulation protocol (standard or letrozole-based for estrogen-sensitive cancers).
Ovarian Stimulation:
Controlled gonadotropin injections for ~10 days.
Random-start or luteal-phase stimulation allows flexibility regardless of cycle day.
Egg Retrieval:
Transvaginal oocyte aspiration under mild sedation.
Procedure takes 10–15 minutes; no incision required.
Cryopreservation:
Mature oocytes are vitrified and stored in liquid nitrogen.
Embryos (if fertilized) undergo identical freezing and quality verification steps.
For Male Patients
Consultation & Screening:
Semen analysis, infectious disease testing.
Sperm Collection:
Through ejaculation, or surgical extraction if necessary.
Cryopreservation:
Sperm divided into aliquots and frozen in liquid nitrogen.
Can be completed within hours of referral.
For Prepubertal Patients
Tissue Harvest: Performed surgically under anesthesia.
Cryopreservation: Specialized freezing protocols for ovarian or testicular tissue.
Storage & Documentation: Long-term cryostorage with detailed chain-of-custody records and explicit ownership policies.
Laboratory Standards
Use of closed vitrification systems to prevent contamination.
Backup cryostorage tanks with dual alarms and continuous temperature monitoring.
Compliance with FDA and ASRM guidelines for tissue storage and labeling.
Regular viability audits on representative thawed samples.
Our job is to listen, to connect the dots between your needs, and to determine how we can best help you have your baby. If you’re asking how much does it cost for a surrogate, we’ll walk you through every step of the process to ensure there are no surprises.
To make an appointment with one of our counselors or physicians, please call (212) 661-7673 or email info@surrogacy4all.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Surrogacy4All is a unique international surrogacy service targeted at providing state of the art IVF and surrogacy services to Intended Parents irrespective of age, sex or color, at the lowest possible cost in the world.
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