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
Special Issue Editor
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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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