Fertility, ovarian reserve and cancer

Improvements in survival rates and the rise in the incidence of cancer, particularly in young people, has shifted the focus of treatment towards less gonadotoxic therapies, such that a larger number of survivors will remain fertile after treatment. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of cancer therapies, there is incomplete data on the extent of injury to the reproductive organs. This review uses case series and cohort studies on conception rates and menstrual cyclicity after gonadotoxic cancer therapies, and relevant studies on ovarian reserve assessment. It will aid clinicians wishing to provide evidence-based counselling on patients' reproductive potential after cancer treatment.