30-Oct-2017

Baby joy for Malaga cancer patient who froze her eggs

In the first case of its type seen at the Gutenberg Centre Reproduction Unit (URE) located in Malaga, Spain, a cancer patient who froze her eggs has given birth to a healthy baby.

The 37-year-old woman who had been suffering from breast cancer, froze her eggs before receiving chemotherapy. Seven years later, free from the disease, she has become a mother thanks to the work of the doctors at the Gutenberg Centre URE.

The frozen eggs were inseminated with the sperm of her partner and two embryos were implanted to achieve the pregnancy. Now, at the age of 44, the patient is the mother of a two-month-old baby having had a healthy pregnancy.

Egg freezing, or vitrification, is a technique for preserving fertility. Following stimulation of a woman’s ovaries by means of hormonal treatment, the eggs are retrieved in a process known as ovarian puncture in an operating room under mild sedation. The mature eggs are then vitrified (fast frozen) and stored in liquid nitrogen, keeping them in perfect condition.

In this particular case, the patient attended her appointment at the Gutenberg Centre URE following conservative surgery to remove her tumour, but prior to starting her chemotherapy treatment.

Doctors decided to proceed with the egg freezing procedure on the grounds that the patient was in good physical and gynaecological condition, without any other medical concerns other than her breast cancer diagnosis.

The Centre are now proud to announce that the treatment has been a complete success.

About Gutenberg Centre Reproduction Unit

Established in Malaga in 1987, the Gutenberg Centre Reproduction Unit (URE) enjoys a reputation as one of Spain's top fertility centres. Equipped with the latest technology and staffed by a highly experienced team, the clinic offers a full range of fertility services including artificial insemination, in vitro fertilisation (IVF), egg donation, pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and fertility preservation.