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Do BRCA mutations affect fertility?
https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAY/brca-and-fertility
Full article: http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/31/5/1126.abstract
Age affects fertility. As women age, their ovaries release eggs that are not as healthy as those released in younger women. Fewer eggs are released each menstrual cycle as women age, making it harder for older women to become pregnant. Are women with BRCA mutations less fertile? Previous research suggested that BRCA mutations might affect women's fertility as she ages. A recent study found that BRCA1 mutation carriers may have slightly lower fertility than women without the same mutation, but more research is needed before this finding is useful for medical decision-making. (5/24/16)
Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider
- I am a BRCA1 mutation carrier. What factors should I take into account when deciding when I should have children?
- I am having trouble conceiving. Are their options available to help?
- How do fertility treatments affect my cancer risk?
- How might cancer treatment affect my fertility?
Open Clinical Trials
The following research studies related to fertility preservation are enrolling patients.
Fertility preservation studies for women
Fertility preservation for men
- NCT02972801: Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation for Fertility Preservation. Testicular tissue cryopreservation is an experimental procedure involving testicular tissue that is retrieved and frozen. This technique is reserved for young male patients, with the ultimate goal that their tissue may be used in the future to restore fertility when experimental techniques emerge from the research pipeline.
About FORCE
FORCE is a national nonprofit organization, established in 1999. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by adult hereditary cancers.