Feasibility and efficiency of delayed ovarian stimulation and metaphase II oocyte banking for fertility preservation and childbearing desire after fertility-impairing treatment

The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of delayed ovarian stimulation and metaphase II oocyte banking for fertility preservation after fertility-impairing treatment regardless of the initial disease. We conducted a cohort study based on population of women < 40 years of age with diminished ovarian reserve caused by fertility-impairing treatment (n = 129). Three groups of women were compared according to the type of initial disease: hematological malignancies, solid tumors, and benign diseases. The primary endpoint was the number of metaphase II oocytes collected per woman. We studied the cumulative live-birth rate per cycle with fertilized metaphase II oocyte, for women who wanted to conceive. We studied 245 delayed controlled ovarian stimulation cycles in 129 women: 201 for fertility preservation and 44 for in vitro fertilization and fresh embryo transfers. The number of metaphase II oocytes collected per woman after banking was similar in the three groups, with a mean of 10.7 ± 4.6, 12.3 ± 9.1, and 10.1 ± 7.6 metaphase II oocytes (p = 0.46), respectively. In the subgroup of women who wanted to conceive, the cumulative live birth rate per woman was 38%, with 8 live births for these 21 women. After fertility-impairing treatment, practitioners should discuss a fertility preservation procedure for banking metaphase II oocytes.