Niamh Joyce, an obstetrician-gynecologist and reproductive medicine specialist, presented on fertility preservation for young cancer patients, particularly focusing on ovarian tissue cryopreservation and egg freezing techniques. Her work is crucial in ensuring that survivors of childhood cancer have options for fertility and hormonal restoration later in life.

Key Points:

• Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients: Niamh Joyce, a specialist in reproductive medicine, discussed fertility preservation techniques for children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatments. She highlighted the gonadotoxic effects of cancer therapies and the importance of fertility preservation.
• Cancer's Impact on Reproductive Health: The talk focused on how chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplants significantly impact gonadal function, often leading to premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) or acute ovarian failure.
• Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation: Joyce explained ovarian tissue cryopreservation, a procedure where ovarian tissue is removed, frozen, and potentially reimplanted after cancer treatment to restore both fertility and endocrine function.
• Advances in Egg Freezing: She highlighted the process of egg freezing, emphasizing its importance for females undergoing gonadotoxic treatments. Rapid vitrification techniques have become standard, improving the effectiveness of egg preservation.
• Challenges in Fertility Preservation: Practical and ethical challenges were discussed, including the lack of funding for pediatric fertility preservation in Ireland, logistical difficulties with tissue banking, and the risks associated with ovarian tissue reimplantation in cancer survivors.
• Future Prospects and Ethical Considerations: Joyce also touched on the potential of ovarian cryopreservation for extending reproductive function and delaying menopause but emphasized the ethical and clinical implications of such procedures.