The effect of fertility preservation on disease free survival in patients with invasive breast cancer

This study aimed to investigate if fertility preservation in patients with invasive breast cancer would affect disease-free survival. This study concluded that fertility preservation appears unlikely to affect disease-free survival in these patients.  

Fertility preservation (FP) is the process of saving or protecting eggs so a patient can use them to have children in the future. Embryo cryopreservation is a method by which the female eggs are frozen and can be used at a later date. FP in cancer patients aims to help patients retain their fertility (ability to have children).  

Disease-free survival (DFS) is the time that a patient lives without the disease returning. It was unknown if FP in patients with invasive breast cancer (BC) would affect DFS.  

This study involved 329 female patients aged 18 to 45 who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. All patients were seen for FP consultation before cancer treatment. 63% of patients underwent FP and 37% did not have FP. DFS was the main outcome measured and was compared between the FP and no FP groups.  

Patients who had FP had more aggressive initial disease profiles than those in the no FP group. Patients who underwent FP were younger than those in the no FP group. 67% of the FP group had stage II or III disease compared to 55% of the no FP group. 77% of the FP group required chemotherapy compared to 65% of the no FP group.  

After an average follow-up of 43 months, the DFS rate for the FP group was 93% compared to 94% for the no FP group. 79% of the FP group had positive ER status compared to 83% of the no FP group. 41% of the FP group had neoadjuvant chemotherapy (to shrink the tumor before surgery) compared to 48% of the no FP group. Both the FP and no FP groups had similar ER-positive DFS and neoadjuvant chemotherapy DFS. 

This study concluded that FP appears unlikely to affect DFS, even in tumors with positive ER status or treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.  

This study included patients in only one fertility institution. Also, some information such as the type of chemotherapy used and drug dosed were missing. This might have influenced the results. Further studies are needed.

Consult your physician about the option of FP.