Encouraging results from frozen ovaries research

A new study, undertaken in Denmark and published in the journal Human Reproduction, has shown positive results from patients who have had their ovaries frozen.  The procedure was offered to 32 Danish women who were treated for cancer.  They each had whole or part of an ovary removed and frozen in the hope this would protect them from powerful anti-cancer drugs, 10 of these women subsequently have gone on to have successful pregnancies.

In the UK this procedure is still relatively rare due to concerns over its safety, but the study’s authors suggest that these results should lead to it being offered more widely.  Lead researcher, Dr Annette Jensen, said  “As far as we know this is the largest series of ovarian tissue transplantation performed worldwide and these findings show that grafted ovarian tissue is effective in restoring ovarian function in a safe and effective manner.  The fact that cancer survivors are now able to have a child of their own is an immense, quality-of-life boost for them.”

Researchers acknowledge that the procedure is still at an early stage and longer-term studies are needed.  However Prof Adam Balen, spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said the results were very encouraging, “While egg freezing is more commonly available in the UK, ovarian freezing may on occasion be the better option. This is a great study. It should prompt people in the UK to provide the service more frequently.”

Read the BBC’s article on the research here