I am 32 years old and have stage two breast cancer in my right breast. My doctor has recommended a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy to eradicate the metastatic cells.
I am not married. Should I freeze my eggs before treatment, and what is the procedure? (Thu Vân, Ho Chi Minh City)
Reply:
Chemotherapy can severely affect the ovaries, leading to a cessation of oocyte and estrogen release, reducing the number of healthy eggs in the ovaries. This is primary ovarian failure, characterized by hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, vaginal dryness, and irregular or absent periods.
Many women experience menstrual irregularities and premature menopause after chemotherapy, and very few are able to conceive naturally. Chemotherapy can also affect genes, causing abnormalities in egg quality, even in young women.
According to statistics from the Global Cancer Organization (Globocan) in 2020, more than 2.2 million people were diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 680,000 died from the disease. According to the Ministry of Health , in Vietnam, breast cancer accounts for 25.8% of cancers in women, with over 9,300 deaths annually.
Breast cancer is curable, and women can still have healthy children if it is detected and treated early to preserve reproductive function. Therefore, for many years, egg freezing techniques to preserve fertility have been routinely applied to many women, especially single women or those who have not had enough children before cancer treatment.
Dr. Chau Hoang Phuong Thao, MD, provides consultation to a patient. Photo: Tue Diem
If you plan to get married and have children in the future, freezing your eggs before treatment is essential to help you become a mother.
During this procedure, your ovaries are stimulated using a suitable protocol. The doctor performs egg retrieval, selecting mature, high-quality eggs to freeze in a specialized environment at -196 degrees Celsius. This ensures the eggs maintain their best quality indefinitely.
You froze your eggs at age 32, then underwent breast cancer treatment and breast reconstruction. When you wanted to have children, you could thaw the eggs and proceed with in-vitro fertilization.
In 2022, at the Reproductive Support Center of Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, doctors received many women aged 20-35 who underwent egg freezing to preserve their reproductive function due to cancer. Many couples who had not yet had children, but whose spouse was diagnosed with cancer, also had their embryos successfully frozen.
Women with a family history of breast cancer (mother, sister, or female relative), a history of breast radiation, early menstruation (before age 12), late menopause (after age 55); a history of cancer (ovarian, cervical, endometrial, etc.); obesity; and smoking should have breast cancer screenings every six months to detect the disease early and receive prompt treatment.
Dr. Chau Hoang Phuong Thao
Deputy Director of the Center for Reproductive Support
Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City
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