Fertility Preservation Offers Hope for Cancer Survivors

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month unfolds under the global theme “Every story is unique, every journey matters,” fertility preservation is offering Zimbabwean cancer patients another dimension of hope the possibility of protecting their future reproductive choices before treatment begins.

For many women diagnosed with cancer, the immediate priority is survival. But some cancer treatments can affect fertility, making reproductive health an important consideration alongside diagnosis and treatment. The growing integration of oncology and reproductive medicine is therefore highlighting a broader question: how can cancer care save lives while also helping patients preserve the possibility of having children in the future?

For some patients, fertility preservation can provide an opportunity to protect that possibility.

Dr Tinovimba Mhlanga, a fertility specialist at IVF Zimbabwe, said a cancer diagnosis should not automatically mean giving up hopes of parenthood. “Cancer treatment is often urgent, but it should not erase the dreams of parenthood,” Dr Mhlanga said. “Fertility preservation allows us to tell women that their journey matters; that even in the face of illness, their future stories of motherhood remain possible.”

Preserving eggs and embryos

For women who may face cancer treatment that could affect fertility, egg freezing and embryo freezing are among the established fertility-preservation options. Egg freezing involves retrieving and freezing unfertilised eggs for possible use in the future. Embryo freezing involves fertilising retrieved eggs, usually through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), and freezing the resulting embryos for potential future use.

Dr Mhlanga said both approaches could provide reproductive options for women and couples facing cancer treatment. “Egg freezing enables women to store unfertilised eggs before undergoing treatment,” he said. “Embryo freezing provides couples with multiple opportunities for pregnancy from a single IVF cycle.”

However, fertility preservation is not suitable for everyone, and the most appropriate option depends on factors including the patient's age, type of cancer, treatment plan, available time before treatment and reproductive circumstances. Cancer patients considering preservation should therefore discuss the issue with their oncologist and a fertility specialist as early as possible.

Men can also preserve fertility

Fertility preservation is not limited to women. Cancer treatment can also affect male fertility, making sperm banking an important option for some men before treatment. Dr Mhlanga said sperm banking could help men preserve reproductive options before medical treatment or other circumstances that could affect fertility. “Sperm banking offers men the chance to secure reproductive options before medical interventions or extended travel,” he said.

Assisted reproductive technologies can subsequently help some patients overcome fertility challenges. “IVF and ICSI combine science and compassion to ensure that families can be built despite medical obstacles,” Dr Mhlanga said. ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, involves injecting a single sperm directly into an egg and may be used in certain cases of male-factor infertility or when other fertility considerations make it appropriate.

Cancer care beyond survival

For cancer patients, conversations about fertility can be emotionally difficult. A diagnosis can bring fear about survival, treatment, finances, relationships and the future. For younger patients, the possibility of losing fertility can add another layer of anxiety. Dr Mhlanga said fertility preservation was therefore about more than technology. “Every patient who walks through our doors carries a unique story,” he said.

“Science gives us the tools, but compassion gives us the purpose.” He said Breast Cancer Awareness Month provided an opportunity to recognise the individual experiences of women living with cancer. “On this Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we celebrate every woman’s unique journey and affirm that her story and her dream of motherhood matters.” For Zimbabwean cancer patients, the message is increasingly becoming one of survival with quality of life and reproductive choices in mind.

But experts stress that fertility preservation discussions should happen as early as possible. Not every cancer treatment affects fertility in the same way, and not every patient will be able to undergo preservation before treatment. Where medically appropriate, however, early counselling can allow patients to understand their options and make informed decisions before cancer treatment begins. For some survivors, that conversation can represent more than a medical procedure. It can mean keeping a door open to a future they feared cancer had closed.

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