On average, over 25000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 45 annually in the United States. Because an increasing number of young women delay childbearing to later life for various reasons, a growing population of women experience breast cancer before completing childbearing. In this context, preservation of fertility potential of breast cancer survivors has become an essential concept in modern cancer care. In this review, we will outline the currently available fertility preservation options for women with breast cancer of reproductive age, discuss the controversy behind hormonal suppression for gonadal protection against chemotherapy and highlight the importance of timely referral by cancer care providers.
Keywords: Cryopreservation; Embryo; Female breast cancer; Fertility preservation; Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist; Letrozole; Oocyte; Ovarian suppression; Ovarian tissue cryopreservation.