Fertility Preservation in People With Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update

ASCO Guidelines provide recommendations with comprehensive review and analyses of the relevant literature for each recommendation, following the guideline development process as outlined in the ASCO Guidelines Methodology Manual . ASCO Guidelines follow the ASCO Conflict of Interest Policy for Clinical Practice Guidelines . Clinical Practice Guidelines and other guidance (“Guidance”) provided by ASCO is not a comprehensive or definitive guide to treatment options. It is intended for voluntary use by clinicians and should be used in conjunction with independent professional judgment. Guidance may not be applicable to all patients, interventions, diseases or stages of diseases. Guidance is based on review and analysis of relevant literature, and is not intended as a statement of the standard of care. ASCO does not endorse third-party drugs, devices, services, or therapies and assumes no responsibility for any harm arising from or related to the use of this information. See complete disclaimer in Appendix 1 and 2 (online only) for more . PURPOSE To provide updated fertility preservation (FP) recommendations for people with cancer. METHODS A multidisciplinary Expert Panel convened and updated the systematic review. RESULTS One hundred sixty-six studies comprise the evidence base. RECOMMENDATIONS People with cancer should be evaluated for and counseled about reproductive risks at diagnosis and during survivorship. Patients interested in or uncertain about FP should be referred to reproductive specialists. FP approaches should be discussed before cancer-directed therapy. Sperm cryopreservation should be offered to males before cancer-directed treatment, with testicular sperm extraction if unable to provide semen samples. Testicular tissue cryopreservation in prepubertal males is experimental and should be offered only in a clinical trial. Males should be advised of potentially higher genetic damage risks in sperm collected soon after cancer-directed therapy initiation and completion. For females, established FP methods should be offered, including embryo, oocyte, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC), ovarian transposition, and conservative gynecologic surgery. In vitro maturation of oocytes may be offered as an emerging method. Post-treatment FP may be offered to people who did not undergo pretreatment FP or cryopreserve enough oocytes or embryos. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) should not be used in place of established FP methods but may be offered as an adjunct to females with breast cancer. For patients with oncologic emergencies requiring urgent oncologic therapy, GnRHa may be offered for menstrual suppression. Established FP methods in children who have begun puberty should be offered with patient assent and parent/guardian consent. The only established method for prepubertal females is OTC. Oncology teams should ensure prompt access to a multidisciplinary FP team. Clinicians should advocate for comprehensive FP services coverage and help patients access benefits. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/survivorship-guidelines .