Table 1.

Strategies for Preservation of Fertility and/or Ovarian Function in Women with Breast Cancer Diagnosed During Their Reproductive Years

	Time Needed Before Systemic Treatments	Recommended Age	Birth Rate	Contraindications
Oocyte/embryo cryopreservation30,31	> 14 days	Preferably ≤ 40 years	43–62%*32		Coagulation deficits; high risk of infection; non-compliance with the required treatments and monitoring; urgent need to start anticancer therapies
Ovarian tissue cryopreservation33	2–3 days	Preferably ≤ 36 years	About 40%34,35		High surgical or anesthesiologic risks; high risk of ovarian malignant contamination
Medical gonadoprotection36	~ 7 days	Premenopausal, any age	**		Non-compliance with the treatment

Notes: *Birth rates of oocyte/embryo cryopreservation vary according to the patient’s age and the number of oocytes collected. **This strategy has been studied as a technique to preserve ovarian function and not as a method for fertility preservation; nevertheless, an increased chance of pregnancy has been described.