CosBeauty Magazine #86

Dr Raewyn Teirney and one of
her specialised fertility nurses.s.
Dr Raewyn Teirney
• Approximately 80-90% of eggs
would survive warming in the future;
• Approximately 50-80% of surviving
eggs would fertilise;
• Approximately 80-90% of fertilised
eggs would develop into embryos;
and
• A single embryo would have a
20-35% chance of developing into
a pregnancy.
(Source: IVF Australia)
‘So, we see that medically, many
women who have been diagnosed with
cancer are able to achieve their dreams
of conceiving, enjoying a healthy
pregnancy and becoming a mother,’
says Dr Teirney.
Often there are only a few days
between diagnosis and beginning
treatment, explains Professor Bill
Ledger who heads up the Fertility
Research Centre at the Royal
Hospital for Women in Sydney. ‘It is
something the oncologists want to
do quickly for obvious reasons. If the
cancer is aggressive, they might not
have much time.
‘The likelihood of these women
achieving their dreams of having a
family is generally quite good,’ says
Professor Ledger. ‘If we can freeze
five or six embryos, or 12 eggs from
someone under 35, then her chance of
having at least one child is better than
fifty-fifty. You can never guarantee,
of course. Things can go wrong –
eggs don’t always fertilise, embryos
don’t always implant, but if we get a
reasonable number in the bank and she
is younger, then it is a better chance.
If a woman is 40 or over then of course
the chances aren’t as high.’
Pre-teens and
pre-pubescent girls
But what of girls who haven’t yet
reached puberty? What are their
options? Australian-led technology
is proving to pave the way globally
for such patients, by freezing ovarian
tissue from pre-pubescent girls with
the plan to graft it once cancer
treatment is completed and when
fertility is required. Melbourne fertility
specialist, Dr Kate Stern, is leading
the advancements in this area and,
to date, her group has taken tissue
from over 400 women and young girls
facing infertility as a result of their
cancer treatment.
‘We have been storing ovarian
tissue for 20 years now,’ she says.
‘Obviously, in the early days, we
weren’t as confident of success,
but in the last few years there has
been enormous progress in research.
Our first birth – twins – was in 2014.
We have now put tissue back into
around 26 patients and have had
five babies. We have only been
storing tissue taken from young
girls for a few years, in collaboration
with the team at the Royal Children’s
Hospital. We have not yet had
any requests to graft tissue into
women who were children at the
time of their cancer treatment.
These patients have not yet reached
an age where they are ready to
become parents, however we are
optimistic that the technology will
be very successful’.
We now get referrals to help
preserve fertility for children and
young women, especially those with
breast cancer, which is one of the
commonest cancers in women of
reproductive age. For these women
with breast cancer, we mainly still
do egg freezing. However there have
been some women who have not
had enough time, so we have taken
ovarian tissue. For some women we
do both.
‘We also currently have a grant
with the Sony Foundation which,
for young patients aged between
13 and 30, covers the cost of transport
and processing, allowing young
people now the opportunity for best
practice fertility preservation, even
if they live a long way away from a
major city. This is such an exciting
opportunity to expand access to care
for all young people who need our
specialised services.’
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