Can ovarian cancer affect fertility?

Here is how a woman's fertility is affected by the treatment of ovarian cancer

By: Debjani Arora | | Published: January 21, 2018 4:13 pm

For women who suffer from any kind of cancer at an early age, especially those that affect their reproductive organs or genitals often worry about their fertility post the cancer treatment. Such fear is genuine, especially if one is planning to get pregnant and enjoy the bliss of motherhood later in life. While in the recent past cancer treatments and drugs have improved so much that it promises a better quality of life to survivors there are times when it might not be able to promise a smooth sailing life ahead. The treatment could affect certain aspect of her life. One prime concern for women who undergo cancer treatment is fertility. Not, all kinds of cancer affect fertility but if the cancer is in the ovary, uterus, fallopian tubes or other parts of the reproductive system it is definitely a cause of worry. Here are top five cancers that women in India suffer from. Also Read - 50-yr-old bacteria may help your body's own immune system to kill cancer

In India, during the period 2004-2005, the rise in ovarian cancer cases varied from 1.7% to 8.7% of all female cancers in various urban and rural population-based registries operating under the network of the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) of Indian Council Medical Research. The Age-Specific Incidence Rate (ASIR) for ovarian cancer revealed that the disease increases from 35 years of age and reaches a peak between 55-64 years. So, for a woman who has not planned a pregnancy before 35 and suffers from ovarian cancer, it can be a little risky for her fertility. Also Read - Cellular 'death by iron' could be a new promising avenue of cancer treatment

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There are various factors that contribute in increasing the risk of infertility for ovarian cancer survivors, some of them are, age (infertility can strike women over 40 more than those who are below that bracket), a combination of treatments used and the extent of the cancer one is suffering from.

Here is how ovarian cancer treatment can affect fertility

Chemotherapy: Certain chemotherapy drugs used to treat cervical cancer can stand to be toxic to the ovaries. The most conventional drugs such as alkylating agents, like cyclophosphamide and procarbazine, are considered to be more potent. High doses of chemotherapy given in preparation for stem cell transplant can also lead to ovarian failures. However, the new age chemotherapy drugs are said to be less potent, but there is very less evidence in support of the same. It should be noted that women do not suffer from ovarian failure right after undergoing sessions of chemotherapy. Women who are in their reproductive age do menstruate even after the treatment for cervical cancer gets over. But the drugs used for chemotherapy will have reduced the ovarian reserves (number of eggs) and lead to premature ovarian failure. If a woman delays pregnancy further conception can become challenging. Here are some dos and don’ts to follow during chemotherapy.

Radiotherapy: If radiation therapy is needed to eradicate the cancer it can affect the health of the ovaries. The extent of damage depends upon the duration of the treatment, the strength of the drugs, age of the woman, the area of the body where the radiation is given. Radiations to the abdominal and pelvic areas are known to cause significant damages to the uterus and the ovaries. For women who receive radiation in the entire body, spine, brain and pelvis along with chemotherapy either for ovarian cancer treatment or any other kind of cancer can suffer from amenorrhea later (absence of periods) affecting fertility. Uterine radiation also increases the risk of spontaneous abortion, pre-term labour and low birth rate, mostly due to the changes occurred in the uterus and reduce blood flow, which is an after effect of radiation therapy.

Hysterectomy: Surgical treatments that remove the reproductive organs typically leave a woman infertile since standard treatment generally involves total abdominal hysterectomy. This kind of step is taken when the cancer has spread to the other organs and only a complete removal of the entire reproductive system seems like a viable option. However, depending on the stage and type of ovarian cancer, conservative treatment, which preserves the reproductive organs, can sometimes be attempted. Here are four ways in which hysterectomy affects your mind.

For any kind of gynaecological cancer, it is necessary that you talk in lengths with your doctor about fertility and your chances of getting pregnant post the treatment. There are quite a few options that you can choose from if you are planning to get pregnant post the treatment of cancer: freezing of viable eggs, surrogacy or other IVF procedures.

Reference:

Duffy, C., & Allen, S. (2009). Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Fertility After Cancer. Cancer Journal (Sudbury, Mass.), 15(1), 27–33. http://doi.org/10.1097/PPO.0b013e3181976602

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Published : January 21, 2018 4:13 pm

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