Fertility and Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy diagnosed in women worldwide. As the average age of child-bearing increases, more women will not have started or completed their families at the time of a breast cancer diagnosis. The scope of this review is to present current practices for fertility preservation, evidence for such practices, and future directions for fertility counseling and treatment for women with breast cancer. In the face of multimodality treatment for breast cancer including surgery, gonadotoxic chemotherapies, and radiation, women who desire to become biological mothers face complex decisions, including the pursuit of fertility preservation prior to treatment which may be dictated by age, ovarian reserve, and the choice of systemic therapy. Several considerations impact the decision to pursue fertility preservation, and practices are continually advancing. This discussion is aimed at improving access and information on fertility preservation methods in breast cancer patients.