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Fertility and Pregnancy in Cancer

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 919

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Departement of Gynecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
Interests: fertility preservation; outcome pregnancy; ethical and psychological considerations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to introduce a Special Issue of the journal Cancers titled “Fertility and Pregnancy in Cancer”. Fertility and pregnancy after cancer are important aspects of long-term survivorship and will be examined in more detail in this Special Issue.

The desire to become a parent is just as strong in cancer patients as it is in other individuals. However, the realization of this wish may be hindered by various factors. On the one hand, fertility—and thus the ability to conceive—in both men and women may be impaired. On the other hand, a pregnancy can be associated with increased complications following previous cancer therapy. For example, this may involve side effects of prior gonadotoxic treatments, such as an elevated cardiac risk after therapy with doxorubicin. Previous radiotherapy may lead to uterine problems. The rate of miscarriage may also be increased.

Furthermore, this topic encompasses important ethical considerations, for instance, whether a genetic predisposition to cancer can be passed on to offspring, whether patients in a metastatic or potentially palliative situation should be allowed to become parents, and who is entitled to make such decisions.

In detail, the following topics are to be explored in greater depth:

  • Outcome of pregnancies after cancer;
  • Impact of former cancer therapies and genetic predispositions on offspring;
  • Complications encountered before, during and after pregnancy due to gonadotoxic treatment;
  • Psychological and ethical considerations in parenthood and long-term survivorship.
  • Counseling on the decision to parent and when;
  • Means of fertility preservation ;

We are pleased to invite you to submit original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and insightful contributions from experts in oncology, reproductive health, obstetrics, and related disciplines. Each submission will undergo a robust peer review process to ensure scientific rigor and relevance to the oncology, reproductive and obstetrical landscape.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Bettina Böttcher
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cancer
  • gonadotoxic treatment
  • pregnancy
  • offspring
  • long term survivorship
  • fertility preservation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 2853 KB  
Article
Impact of Breast Cancer on Ovarian Function: Dysregulation of Cholesterol Homeostasis in Cumulus Cells and Follicular Fluid
by Alice Poitrinal, Léa Dupont, Sandra Dollet, Anja Kerksiek, Laure Chaput, Bruno Pereira, Cécily Lucas, Ludivine Riche, Lucie Chansel-Debordeaux, Marie Prades, Dieter Lütjohann, Gaëlle Marteil and Florence Brugnon
Cancers 2026, 18(9), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers18091451 - 1 May 2026
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Women undergoing fertility preservation by oocyte vitrification before oncological treatments often have a poorer ovarian response to stimulation than healthy women. This indicates that cancer itself can adversely affect ovarian function. However, this impact remains unclear, and its underlying mechanisms are [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Women undergoing fertility preservation by oocyte vitrification before oncological treatments often have a poorer ovarian response to stimulation than healthy women. This indicates that cancer itself can adversely affect ovarian function. However, this impact remains unclear, and its underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. We investigated in this study whether breast cancer, the most common form of cancer in women of reproductive age, alters ovarian function by itself. Methods: For this purpose, we compared the ovarian response to hormonal stimulation in women with breast cancer undergoing oocyte cryopreservation with that in oocyte donors, adjusting for age and BMI. We analysed our data according to the molecular subtype of breast cancer, tumour grade, lymph node invasion, and BRCA1 mutation status. Secondly, we evaluated whether breast cancer alters cholesterol homeostasis in cumulus cells, given its essential role in oocyte quality. The expression of genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis was analysed in cumulus cells using RT-qPCR, while the concentrations of cholesterol and its intermediates were quantified in follicular fluid using GC-FID and GC-MS/SIM. Results: Compared with oocyte donors, breast cancer patients exhibited a significant decrease in collected oocytes after stimulation. At the molecular level, our data revealed a significant deregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis gene expression in cumulus cells of women with breast cancer. The quantification of cholesterol and its intermediates in follicular fluid revealed altered concentrations in women with breast cancer, suggesting a disrupted follicular microenvironment. Conclusions: These findings suggest that breast cancer impairs ovarian function, at least in part, by disrupting cholesterol homeostasis, which can lead to reduced oocyte competence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fertility and Pregnancy in Cancer)
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