Abstract

Objectives:  The  main  objective  of  this  study  is  to  analyze  the  psychosocial  impact that  causes  in  young  women  with  cancer,  the  possible  loss  of  their  fertility  caused  by  the  treatment  of  their  disease,  and  to  analyse  their  attitudes  toward  the  intervention  of  extraction and ovarian tissue cryopreservation which is submitted to preserve their fertility, and identify predictors of greater emotional distress.

Methods: This study was conducted with a sample of 116 women newly diagnosed with cancer who were to receive gonadotoxic treatments. They were interviewed and completed a series of instruments (BSI-18, EMASP, COPE). 

Results: The level of concern about their possible loss of fertility was high (8.06 out of 10) but undergoing OTC relieved their concern to 97% of the sample. Most of them preserved their fertility for having children and for not suffering an early menopause. Generally it is the oncologist who informs on this effect. The levels of emotional distress were low. The social support perceived was high and the coping strategies most commonly employed were Cognitive Coping, Search of Support and Active Coping. An increased use of the strategies search  of  support  and  religion  accompanied  to  a  low  use  of  cognitive  strategies  and  less  support perceived will increase the levels of emotional distress.

Conclusions: The possible loss of fertility concerns young women newly diagnosed with cancer. However the level of emotional distress experienced is not clinically significant. Having cryopreserved ovarian tissue alleviates the level of concern.

Keywords

cancer, fertility, preservation, young women, psychosocial aspects, distress, oncofertility