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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Nov 30.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2010 Aug 24;8(1):56–60. doi: 10.1038/nrclinonc.2010.133

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Options for fertility preservation and for conception. A timeline of cancer and motherhood events is shown at the top of the flow chart. Patients meeting referral criteria should see a reproductive endocrinologist as soon after diagnostic biopsy as possible. Boxes demarcate viable time windows for established and experimental fertility preservation and motherhood options are shown below the timeline. Options for fertility preservation before cancer treatment commences include embryo, oocyte, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, as well as ovarian suppression therapy. Once treatment has commenced, the only options may involve ovarian tissue cryopreservation or ovarian suppression. 2–5 years after treatment, patients may attempt natural conception, use preserved tissues, attempt IV F, use donor eggs and/or embryos, surrogacy, or choose adoption. Abbreviations: IVF, in vitro fertilization; POD, post-operative day.