Infertility may be A Problem in the Past for Cancer Patients
Women who have been treated for cancer with radiation or
chemotherapy are commonly rendered sterile. According to a study done at Weill
Cornell Medicine, almost 40% of all female breast cancer survivors lose normal
function of their ovaries and can often become infertile.
Oocytes, or immature eggs, are one of the most sensitive
cells in the body and can be wiped out by chemotherapy. A 2014 study identified
a “checkpoint” protein that becomes activated when oocytes are damaged by
radiation. This protein is CHK2 and it eliminates oocytes with DNA damage, a
function that is already there to protect against giving birth to offspring
bearing any new mutations.
In a current study, they explored whether it could be
chemically inhibited or not. Pre-existing CHK2 inhibitor drugs have been
developed in the past for cancer treatment, but it was not very useful for
treating cancer. If the checkpoint pathway becomes inhibited, the oocytes were
not killed by radiation and could remain fertile.
Women can have their oocyte or even their ovarian tissues
removed and frozen, but this delays treatment. When women no longer have any
oocytes, their bodies will undergo menopause to make up for the shift. This
study sets a precedent for administering this drug, or a related drug along
with the cancer treatment. This study has only been done on mice so far, so it
would require lengthy human trials.
Rinaldi, V. D., Hsieh, K., Munroe, R.,
Bolcun-Filas, E. M., & Schimenti, J. C. (2017). Pharmacological
inhibition of the DNA damage checkpoint prevents radiation-induced
oocyte death. Genetics, genetics-117.
It is saddening to hear about the many complications that females who survive cancer must live with. Prior to reading your post, I was aware that going through rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment could have a negative effect on the body but I was not aware that it could possibly make a female infertile. I wonder chemotherapy treatment can also affect the fertility of a male. Great Post!
ReplyDeleteIt is our goal to reduce side effects of our treatments as we try to assist those with cancer or other diseases. I hope maybe a safer alternative to chemotherapy starts becoming more and more useful to us.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering about the usefulness inhibiting the checkpoint. If the goal of the checkpoint is to remove damaged embryos during chemotherapy or other damage, how does inhibiting it also protect the embryos from further damage I wonder.
I did not mean to safe "useful" but "available" to us as more research is done.
DeleteI knew the negative things that came with chemotherapy, but I didn't know that it could affect patients that much. I really hope they find a way to get around that, so that strong women who have survived cancer can have children as they wish. I found this interesting because the area of ob/gyn really catches my attention.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the benefits of chemotherapy can be life saving, they can also be very detrimental. I have heard of fertility issues that plague many cancer survivors. Hopefully there can be some more research to alleviate these problems.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has seen what cancer can do to someone, it saddens me to know that it doesn't just affect one's health but also the possibility of bearing children. I had no idea this was the case. Hopefully someday we will rid of this horrid disease or at least come up with a less harmful treatment for it.
ReplyDeleteIt is awful that women can have fertility issues related to cancer treatment, but I am always amazed at the workings of the human body. I appreciated your description of checkpoint proteins regulating the removal of damaged eggs which protects against an egg with DNA mutations or damage from being fertilized. It is similar also to the horrible sadness of miscarriage, yet it is the human body performing its detailed function to not allow the fetus to develop further if it is not developing properly and will not have a good chance at survival and a high-functioning life. I guess the theme of what I am saying is there is a lot of sadness with these situations that hopefully can be avoided with the furthering of medical knowledge, yet on the flip side, it is amazing how the body works to keep us running efficiently and healthy as it can usually.
ReplyDelete