JBRA Assist. Reprod. 2025;29(Suppl 1):54-54
POSTER PRESENTATION
doi: 10.5935/1518-0557.20250108
1Centro de Esterilidad Montevideo
Objective: Oocyte cryopreservation is a fertility preservation strategy that has been standardized for more than 10 years. This technique can be used for several reasons, which are usually divided into two groups: medical or elective reasons. In the last census conducted in Uruguay in 2024, a significant increase was observed in the number of childless women in the age range of 15 to 39 years. This implies that many women with cancer have not yet completed their reproductive objectives at the time of diagnosis. In Uruguay, since 2022, public coverage has been established for gamete cryopreservation for young cancer patients. The objective of our study is to analyze the evolution in the number of oocyte cryopreservation cycles over time and compare the results in terms of the number of oocytes obtained from cycles of preservation for oncological medical reasons with cycles performed for other reasons.
Methods: A descriptive and retrospective single-center study was conducted, including 737 oocyte cryopreservation cycles. The data used for analysis were obtained from the medical records of the IVF laboratory at the Centro de Esterilidad Montevideo, during the period from 2016 to 2024. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism software version 8. To analyze the increase on oocyte cryopreservation cycles through the time, a simple linear regression was used. To compare the mean of the number of MII oocytes cryopreservd a one way ANOVA test was conducted. Results were considered statistically significant when the p-value was less than 0.05.
Results: During this period, a total of 737 oocyte cryopreservation cycles were performed, of which 161 were for cancer reasons. Regarding the evolution over the years, a positive and significant relationship was observed (p-value = 0.0102), suggesting a linear relationship between the increase in the number of cycles during the period from 2016 to 2024, with an increase in the number of oocyte cryopreservation cycles for cancer reasons, especially since 2022, but with an even more pronounced increase in 2023. Regarding the number of oocytes obtained, the mean number of MII oocytes criopreserved for cancer reasons was 9.75, while the mean for other reasons was 7.86. This difference was not statistically significant (p=0.23). The significant increase in the number of oocyte cryopreservation for cancer reasons coincides with the year the public coverage was established through the FNR. The majority of these cases (80%) were due to breast cancer.
Conclusion: The costs of gamete cryopreservation treatments are directly related to access to these treatments. It is essential to continue developing public policies that ensure all patients have the opportunity to access technological advancements that allow them to protect their future quality of life. On the other hand, our study suggests, as reported in previous studies, that the number of oocytes recovered does not appear to be lower in cases of preservation for cancer reasons.