Preservation of fertility in cancer patients

Project manager: John Arne Dahl, Department of Microbiology, Division of Laboratory Medicine
Head of the Genome and Epigenome Regulation in Embryo Development, Ageing and Disease research group

Co-project manager: Gareth Greggains, Department of Reproductive Medicine, Division of Obstretrics and Gynaecology
Member of the Reproductive Medicine Group research group (headed by Peter Fedorcsak)

John Arne Dahl (left) and Gareth Greggains

Loss of fertility is a feared side effect of cancer treatment in young women, as chemotherapy –induced sterility has a profound impact on the quality of life for patients and their families. Fertility preservation is an advanced form of reproductive technology to protect fertility by cryopreservation of oocytes, embryos or ovarian tissue. We will compare fertility outcome in cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation to standard treatment and examine whether Norwegian patients have equal access to fertility preservation benchmarked to international standard. By characterizing epigenetic programming during oocyte growth, we aim at developing protocols to mature oocytes from ovarian tissue, improving treatment.

Home page in Norwegian:

Bevaring av fertilitet hos kreftpasienter