Research question

Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) and subsequent re-transplantation is gaining ground as a valid technique to preserve fertility in patients facing imminent cancer treatment. This study explores patients’ experiences with OTC and transplantation, including their reflections on long-term storage of tissue and the use of surplus tissue.

Design

Semi-structured qualitative interviews with 42 Danish women undergoing OTC between 2003 and 2018, 32 of whom had ovarian tissue transplanted.

Results

Overall, OTC was associated with positive experiences linked to the production of future-oriented hope and reproductive possibilities. It also generated a range of worries, particularly regarding hormone-sensitive cancers and the risk of re-transplanting malignant cells, and the womenʼs arduous journeys to conceive after cancer resonated through the accounts. Moreover, the women's understanding of, and access to, information about the OTC procedure and its prospects affected the ways in which they approached storage and transplantation of their frozen tissue. Finally, the interviews showed how the stored ovarian tissue was also infused with potentiality beyond the scope of reproduction, both as a remedy to restore hormonal cycles and in the imagination of the-yet-to-be-discovered potential informing the women's reflections on donation and destruction.

Conclusion

Although OTC is a ‘hope technology’ compared with freezing of oocytes and embryos, ovarian tissue is interlinked with risk and disease and positioned as an asset beyond the scope of reproduction. Importantly, this study underscores the need for provision of specialized information, follow-up, and fertility counselling after OTC and cancer treatment.

中文翻译：

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冷冻室中的未来和恐惧：丹麦妇女在卵巢组织冷冻保存和移植方面的经验。

研究问题

卵巢组织冷冻保存 (OTC) 和随后的再移植作为一种有效的技术来保护即将面临癌症治疗的患者的生育能力，正在取得进展。本研究探讨了患者在 OTC 和移植方面的经验，包括他们对组织长期储存和剩余组织使用的反思。

设计

对 2003 年至 2018 年间接受 OTC 的 42 名丹麦女性进行的半结构化定性访谈，其中 32 名接受了卵巢组织移植。

结果

总体而言，OTC 与产生面向未来的希望和生殖可能性相关的积极经验有关。它还引发了一系列担忧，尤其是对激素敏感的癌症和再次移植恶性细胞的风险，以及女性在癌症后艰难受孕的过程中引起了共鸣。此外，女性对 OTC 手术及其前景信息的了解和获取影响了她们进行冷冻组织储存和移植的方式。最后，采访展示了储存的卵巢组织如何也被注入了超出生殖范围的潜力，既可以作为恢复荷尔蒙周期的补救措施，也可以想象尚未发现的潜力，告知女性

结论

虽然与冷冻卵母细胞和胚胎相比，OTC 是一种“希望技术”，但卵巢组织与风险和疾病相互关联，被定位为超越生殖范围的资产。重要的是，这项研究强调了在 OTC 和癌症治疗后提供专业信息、随访和生育咨询的必要性。