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Impact of Breast Cancer Treatment on Fertility

  • Chapter
Breast Cancer, Fertility Preservation and Reproduction

Abstract

Young women with breast cancer face the risk of treatment-related infertility as part of their disease management. Uncertainty about future fertility adds significant distress particularly in those women who have not completed their family planning before diagnosis. Anticancer treatments can impact gonadal function both through direct cytotoxic damage on ovarian follicles and endocrine interactions. To a lesser extent, radiotherapy and surgery can also negatively influence fertility in these patients. We will summarize and discuss the mechanisms of gonadal damage from cytotoxic and endocrine therapy, radiotherapy and surgery, and the available methods of fertility assessment during and after treatment completion. We will also describe the psychosocial impact of fertility impairment and briefly address fertility concerns and management in patients with advanced breast cancer, a field still surrounded by enduring taboos and lack of information and data. Specificities of BRCA mutation carriers and contraception methods during and after breast cancer treatment will finally be described.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI), Ospedale San Giovanni, via Ospedale, Bellinzona, 6500, Switzerland

    Lorenzo Rossi & Olivia Pagani

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  1. Lorenzo Rossi
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  2. Olivia Pagani
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Correspondence to Olivia Pagani .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Torino School of Medicine, Mauriziano Umberto I Hospital, Torino, Italy

    Nicoletta Biglia

  2. Fertility and Procreation Unit, Istituto Europeo di Oncologia, Milano, Italy

    Fedro Alessandro Peccatori

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Rossi, L., Pagani, O. (2015). Impact of Breast Cancer Treatment on Fertility. In: Biglia, N., Peccatori, F. (eds) Breast Cancer, Fertility Preservation and Reproduction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17278-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17278-1_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-17278-1

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