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A recent study revealed that 30% of Cypriot women with breast cancer who participated in the research discontinued their treatment to preserve their fertility.
Additionally, 73% of the women expressed concerns about the impact of their cancer treatment on their ability to conceive, and very few of them in Cyprus, according to experts, receive the necessary information to proceed with procedures that could help them become mothers in the future.
These findings were presented to the House Health Committee by representatives of Europa Donna Cyprus, emphasising the need for the preparation and implementation of an awareness program for Cypriot women and all individuals diagnosed with cancer, informing them about the options available to protect their fertility.
The fertility of cancer patients can be safeguarded through oocyte or sperm cryopreservation or, in the case of girls, through ovarian tissue preservation.
The discussion was prompted by a recent European announcement regarding the need to inform cancer patients about fertility issues.
According to the meeting’s insights, patients must be informed by their doctors, who should be obliged to provide all the necessary information. Simultaneously, patients must sign a declaration confirming that they have received this information, and in the case of children with cancer, the declaration must be signed by their parents or legal guardian.
In practical terms, the cryopreservation of oocytes and sperm, according to the legislation on human reproduction, lasts for 10 years.
However, international practice suggests that cryopreservation can be successfully continued for decades, and there have been cases in Cyprus where successful pregnancies occurred after thawing oocytes or sperm that had been frozen for 20 or more years.
The cost of these procedures, according to the Ministry of Health, ranges from €2,000 to €2,500, and the MPs discussed the possibility of the state covering these costs for cancer patients.