Psychological support for gynecological malignancies in cases of fertility preservation

Gynecological cancer treatment strongly affects the fertility of women in reproductive age. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are the mainstems of ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers and anatomically or functionally impact uterus and ovaries. Moreover, patients’ sexual function and psychological wellbeing are profoundly weakened after a cancer diagnosis: depression, anxiety, and impairment of quality of life represent a relevant concern for patient care. The potential loss of fertility could be more distressing than cancer itself. For this reason, it is of paramount importance to try to preserve fertility in women affected by gynecological cancers. Recently tailored fertility preservation therapies have been developed to meet the childbearing demand of more than half of women between 18 and 40 years diagnosed with cancer. Currently, fertility preservation techniques in women with gynecological cancer represent the first option for improving the quality of life.