Ethical and legal issues of preserving childhood oncofertility

Providing a better quality of life for the children with cancer after recovery proves to be one and important aspect of rehabilitation. Preserving the fertility of children, adolescents and young adults can improve the chances to lead a full, active life, and have biological children after oncological treatment. It is necessary to consider that the degree of reproductive potential impairment as well as recovery perspectives can be assessed solely after the gonadotoxic therapy completion. Whereas fertility preservation practice proves to be more effective before the oncological treatment. The complexity of discussing with young patients and their parents (custodian parents) the risk of decrease or loss of reproductive function, of fertility preservation methods, of necessity to agree to another possible invasive intervention raises quite a range of ethical and legal problems, which claim special attention on behalf of doctors and patients’ protection.