FertiPROTEKT Network for Fertility Preservation Techniques before Chemo- & Radiotherapy

Rising survival rates after cancer and increasing knowledge about the negative effects of chemotherapy on fertility on the one hand, and the development of new reproductive techniques on the other have brought the possibilities of fertility preservation into the forefront of interest of oncologists and affected patients. The need to establish a comprehensive counselling and treatment structure for these young patients before the start of chemotherapy led to the creation of the Ferti PROTEKT Network. Ferti PROTEKT was established in 2006 and has developed into a network of around 80 universities and private centres in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Through regular participation in workshops, the centres commit to complying with standardised counselling and treatment standards. Stringent treatment recommendations are developed by the network. These incorporate general recommendations for individual fertility conserving techniques and treatment recommendations for relevant illnesses such as breast cancer, lymphoma and borderline ovarian tumours. The network structure, the most common fertility preservation techniques and treatment recommendations for breast cancer and Hodgkin s lymphoma are presented in this article.