GENERAL MEDICINE: News from the 23rd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Audio Journal of Medicine Reporting from European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 23rd Annual Meeting, Lyon, July 1-4, 2007 1. Eggs From Young Patients Before Chemotherapy: New Hope for Future Fertility REFERENCE: ABSTRACT O-107 Ariel Revel, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem Harvesting eggs from young girls before they undergo aggressive chemotherapy can now be done to give the hope of pregnancy in the future, according to fertility experts from Jerusalem reporting to the European conference on fertility being held in Lyon. The investigators have obtained oocytes from girls as young as five years. Lead author Ariel Revel talked about his group's findings with Sarah Maxwell. 2. First Baby Born From Thawed, Frozen, In-Vitro Matured Oocytes REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 018 Hananel Holzer, McGill University, Montreal The results of a study that has produced the first live birth by maturing oocytes in vitro which have been collected from unstimulated ovaries, freezing them, and subsequently thawing them for fertilization were presented to the ESHRE meeting in Lyon. This is the first time oocytes collected without hormonal stimulation have resulted in pregnancies. For some women potentially facing sterility, such as those with breast cancer who do not have time for hormonal stimulation, this technique provides the hope of pregnancy which could otherwise be denied. Sarah Maxwell interviewed Hananel Holzer about the findings. 3. Ovarian Stimulation: Menotrophin Gives More Live Births than Follicle-Stimulating Hormone for Assisted Reproduction REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 098 Masoud Afnan, Birmingham Women's Hospital Of two types of gonadotrophins currently used for ovarian stimulation in assisted reproduction one has now clearly demonstrated superiority in a meta-analysis presenteted to the fertility conference in Lyon. Human menotrophin (hGH) gave more live births than recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) whether reproduction was by in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Peter Goodwin talked with Masoud Afnan from Birmingham after his presentation of the study which he co-authored with Madelon van Wely and Julko van der Veen. 4. Single Embryo Transfer Recommended For Most Patients Receiving Donated Oocytes REFERENCE: ABSTRACT O-007 Viveca Söderström-Anttila, Väestoliitto Fertility Clinics, Helsinki When oocytes are donated to achieve a pregnancy, single embryo transfer should generally be recommended over double transfer, according to the findings of a study from Helsinki. Sarah Maxwell discussed the data with Viveka Söderström.