Thousands of young women battling cancer given fresh fertility hope after trial of new treatment
- Chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin lymphoma can cause irreversible ovary damage
- A trial found that a milder form of treatment means they could still get pregnant
- The fertility of women under 35 will be ‘almost completely unaffected’
Young women battling cancer have been given fresh hope that they can still have children.
Chemotherapy for females with Hodgkin lymphoma – a cancer of the immune system – often causes irreparable damage to the ovaries.
But a trial by British scientists has found that a milder form of the treatment, suitable for eight out of ten women, means they could still become pregnant.
Professor Peter Johnson, of Southampton General Hospital, said: ‘We have shown that in patients under 35, the milder chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma is very safe and there’s a very high chance their fertility will be almost completely unaffected.’
Young women battling cancer have been given fresh hope that they can still have children (stock image)
A trial by British scientists has found that a milder form of chemotherapy, suitable for eight out of ten women, means they could still become pregnant (stock iamge)
About 2,100 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma every year in the UK, including 450 women aged under 40. Some undergo IVF or have their eggs frozen before beginning chemotherapy.
Nia Dyson, 30, of Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, was diagnosed with the condition seven years ago.
After being invited on the trial, she was put on the milder form of chemotherapy and had her fertility measured before, during and after six months of treatment. Thankfully, her ovaries remained unaffected.
Now she and husband Matt are parents to Sophie, two.
Nia said: ‘I hope this trial will help other people in the same position as me.’
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