Urgent oncofertility care — egg, embryo, ovarian tissue and sperm freezing arranged within the narrow window before chemotherapy, radiotherapy or gonadotoxic surgery begins.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy save lives and can also destroy ovarian reserve or sperm production permanently. Fertility preservation before treatment is safe, established and time-critical — and it is still routinely not offered, because the oncology conversation is understandably focused elsewhere. One referral, made early, keeps the option open.
Risk depends on the drug, the dose and the age at treatment. Alkylating agents such as cyclophosphamide carry the highest risk of ovarian failure; pelvic radiotherapy damages both the ovaries and the uterus; total body irradiation before transplant carries very high risk. Younger patients start with more reserve and often recover cycles, but recovered periods do not reliably mean recovered fertility, and menopause frequently arrives years earlier than it otherwise would.
In men the picture is similar: chemotherapy can cause temporary or permanent azoospermia, and recovery is unpredictable. Sperm freezing takes a single visit and costs a fraction of any subsequent treatment, which makes not offering it difficult to justify.
For oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, protocols using letrozole alongside gonadotrophins keep peak oestrogen far lower than conventional stimulation, and available data have not shown worse cancer outcomes. These protocols are established international practice and are used in coordination with the treating oncologist.
Timing is planned jointly. In most cases a two-week preservation cycle does not compromise oncological care, but that judgement belongs to the oncology team, and their sign-off is obtained in writing before proceeding.
Returning to use stored eggs, embryos or sperm generally waits until the oncology team confirms it is safe, which for many cancers means a defined disease-free interval. Where the uterus has received radiotherapy, carrying a pregnancy may not be safe, and that is discussed honestly at the time of freezing rather than discovered years later.
Storage in India is governed by the ART (Regulation) Act 2021, with consented storage periods, annual charges and clear directions for the material in defined circumstances. That paperwork is completed carefully at the outset, when there is time to think about it.
Usually about two weeks, and often less with random-start protocols. Sperm freezing can be done the same day with no delay at all.
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation requires only a short laparoscopic procedure and no stimulation, which makes it the option when treatment must begin immediately or before puberty.
No. The chance depends on age at freezing and the number of eggs stored. Expected outcomes for your own age are given in numbers before you decide, not afterwards.
45-minute consultation, booked directly with Dr. Sana on WhatsApp. She consults at Apollo Fertility, Hyderabad. No referral needed.