(HealthDay News) – For female cancer survivors, heterotopic transplantation of cryobanked human ovarian tissue results in restoration of endocrine function within a few months that can last for as long as 7 years, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics.
S. Samuel Kim, MD, from the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, examined endocrine function in 5 female cancer survivors whose ovarian tissue had been frozen before treatment (at the age of 29 to 37 years old) and thawed and transplanted back into the abdominal region (between the rectus sheath and the rectus muscle) after treatment.
The author found that within 12 to 20 weeks after transplantation endocrine function was restored in all 5 patients. Four patients required a second transplant 1 or 2 years later, which resulted in a longer duration of endocrine function (9 to 84 months). One woman retained endocrine function more than 7 years after transplantation and underwent 3 cycles of in vitro fertilization, resulting in 4 embryos.
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“Long-term endocrine function lasting for seven years can be established with heterotopic transplantation of cryobanked human ovarian tissue,” Kim concludes. “Re-establishment of long-term endocrine function after ovarian transplantation will benefit young cancer survivors with premature ovarian failure.”
The study was supported by an independent medical grant from Serono.
