Some women with early-stage endometrial cancer may be eligible for a fertility-sparing treatment plan. This approach aims to allow a woman time to become pregnant and bear a child before undergoing curative surgical treatment, which would remove the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
Who may consider fertility-sparing treatment?
Women younger than age 40 with early-stage (stage 1) endometrial cancer that is considered low-risk (grade 1) may be eligible for this approach.
What is fertility-sparing treatment?
If you are eligible for this approach, your treatment will likely involve:
- Hormone therapy to fight the cancer first
- Biopsies and other test to determine if the cancer is gone
- After 6 months, if no cancer is detected, women may try to conceive
- After delivery, proceed with surgery to remove uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries
Any patient of child-bearing age should seek a consultation with Denise Rokitka, MD, MPH, Director of the Young Adult and Oncofertility Programs, before any cancer treatment begins. Even if you are not eligible for this type of fertility-sparing endometrial cancer treatment, you may still have other options such as egg harvesting for future use with a surrogate. The information to learn and timely decisions to make can be overwhelming — we can help. We will help you learn your available options and if you choose to move forward, we will coordinate with fertility specialists and your oncology team.