Fertility Preservation in Female Patients with Cancer. Part I: Challenges and Future Prospects in Developing Countries; A Narrative Review Study

Abstract

While international guidelines on oncofertility practice have been published in developed countries, there is limitedinformation available on oncofertility practice in developing countries, which often face limitations in their cancerhealth support networks. As survival rates improve in the field of cancer and other diseases, there is a growing needfor stronger oncofertility services in developing countries. Given that 50% of cancer patients are under the age of 65,many of these patients are of reproductive age and preserving their fertility health prior to starting treatment is valuable.However, due to resource limitations and the heavy burden of treatment costs imposed on these patients andtheir families, fertility preservation (FP) may not be a top priority for them. As a result, many healthcare providers andtheir patients focus on eliminating cancer and its related treatments while overlooking the importance of fertility as afactor that can significantly impact their future quality of life. In this review, we have tried to increase the knowledgeof healthcare providers involved in the oncofertility network by reviewing current cancer treatments, FP options infemale cancer patients, and their challenges in developing countries.

Keywords

• cancer
• fertility preservation
• oncofertility