Fertility management in breast cancer patients: current strategies and research advances

Breast cancer patients in China tend to be diagnosed at a younger age, making fertility issues a significant clinical and societal challenge. Current evidence indicates that the fertility rate among breast cancer survivors is substantially lower than that of the general population of the same age. Both the disease itself and antitumor treatments-including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy-can adversely affect female fertility. Therefore, fertility considera-tions should be integrated into the comprehensive management of breast cancer from the time of diagnosis. Several guidelines and consensus statements have been established to direct fertility management in breast cancer patients. Clinical practice has achieved some success in fertility preservation through pharmacological, surgical, and assisted reproductive technologies, which help to mitigate treatment-related damage to fertility. Nevertheless, further progress relies on multidisciplinary collaboration, particularly in addressing the ethical and legal aspects of fertility preservation. Recent advances in research on hereditary breast cancer, risk assessment, and preimplantation genetic testing for polygenic diseases offer new perspectives and directions for fertility management in breast cancer patients. This review systematically summarizes the current fertility status, existing management strategies, and cutting-edge research related to healthy reproduction in breast cancer patients, with the aim of supporting the standardization of fertility management protocols.