Researchers at U of C working to preserve fertility for young cancer patients

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on December 4, 2024.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

For youth and adolescents battling cancer, researchers at the University of Calgary are finding ways to ensure they may still be able to have biological children later in life.

In some cases where aggressive chemotherapy or treatment is required, the fertility of the patient may be affected, such as the case of one patient, who researchers referred to as Ryan. Having to undergo chemotherapy and radiation early in life, doctors were able to preserve his life, but not his fertility. Eventually, while family planning, he and his wife were able to have children with the help of a donor.

However, thanks to this new research, his daughter may be able to still have the choice regarding her own children when the time comes, despite her own cancer diagnosis.

“We have established an ovarian tissue cryopreservation program in Calgary. For the first time, prepubertal patients with ovaries who are facing cancer treatments that may impact their fertility, have an option that they may be able to have their own biological child one day,” said Dr. Shu Foong, clinical assistant professor at the Cumming School of Medicine.

The process involves removing a portion or the whole ovary through laparoscopy before cancer treatment starts, and is preserved so it may be re-implanted at a future date. Thus far, researchers have seen positive responses from families who have the procedure suggested to them by their oncologists.

“OTC is the only option for fertility preservation for a young girl who is prepubertal, and sometimes also the only option for girls who are post puberty, depending on the specific situation,” said Gregory Guilcher, a pediatric hematologist, oncologist and member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

With cancer survival in the pediatric population in Canada approaching 90 per cent, discussions on future fertility have become vital in preserving patients’ autonomy, and in some cases, hope for their futures.

Currently, OTC is not covered by Alberta Health, but Foong expressed hope this would change.

“I hope that in my career I will soon see the day where cost is not a barrier for all our patients to access care,” says Foong. “Costs should not be an obstacle for a young child to gain access to the OTC program. Any child or their families should be able to access OTC as a piece of hope that they will store away for the future.”

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