Preservation of Ovarian Tissue and Chemo-Radiotherapy

The purpose of this study is to assess the results of ovarian tissue freezing, such as resumption or initiation of menses (menstruation: the discharge of blood and tissue from the uterus that happens about every 4 weeks in females who are not pregnant) and pregnancy, prior to starting chemotherapy or radiation treatment (commonly used for cancer treatment or for other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis). Females who are about to undergo chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer or these other medical conditions may stop having menses and may not be able to produce a biological child. Girls who have not achieved puberty and are exposed to chemotherapy (alkylating agents) or radiation treatment, the risk is up to 22-50%. In contrast, girls older than 10 years, or who have achieved puberty, experience acute ovarian failure in over 50% of the cases. By freezing and preserving ovarian tissue will help prevent these outcomes. In fact, when you are considered cured of your disease, you will have another surgical procedure where your own ovarian tissue will be transplanted back to you. This surgery will increase the possibility of resuming/initiating menses and the chance to have a pregnancy.