Mild Stimulation Protocols for Oncofertility Patients

Abstract

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. The most common types of cancer differ between men and women. Causative factors of cancers are mostly due to behavioural and dietary influences and genetic factors. Cancer can occur at any age, and about 1:700 people are survivors of cancer at the age of 21 (Martel et al. in Lancet Oncol 13:607–615, 2012, [1]). When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, they will feel a sense of loss of control over their body. There will be numerous visits to the hospital, with many invasive tests followed by the treatment with surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, depending on the nature of the cancer involved. The main objectives of chemotherapy or radiotherapy are to cure the cancer, prevent the cancer from spreading or relieve the symptoms when the cancer is at its final stage. Although these therapies are intending to attack the cancer cells, many other healthy cells in the body will also be affected. With many therapies, cancer survivors will experience long-term consequences due to the effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Advanced treatment leads to high success and survival rates, but survival is not the only target for treatment: clinicians must also try to achieve the maximum possible quality of life for long-term survivors (Martel et al. in Nat Rev Clin Oncol 7:466–475, 2010, [2]).