News from the 23rd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Lyon, July 1-4, 2007

Ariel Revel

Eggs From Young Patients Before Chemotherapy: New Hope for Future Fertility

REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 107, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007ARIEL REVEL, Hadassah University Hospital, JerusalemHarvesting 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 authorAriel Reveltalked about his group’s findings with Sarah Maxwell.

Hananel Holzer

First Baby Born From Thawed, Frozen, In-Vitro Matured Oocytes

REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 018, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007HANANEL HOLZER, McGill University, MontrealThe 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 interviewedHananel Holzerabout the findings.

Masoud Afnan

Ovarian Stimulation: Menotrophin Gives More Live Births than Follicle-Stimulating Hormone for Assisted Reproduction

REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 098, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007MASOUD AFNAN, Birmingham Women’s HospitalOf 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 withMasoud Afnanfrom Birmingham after his presentation of the study which he co-authored withMadelon van WelyandJulko van der Veen.

Viveca Söderström-Anttila

Single Embryo Transfer Recommended For Most Patients Receiving Donated Oocytes

REFERENCE: ABSTRACT Oral 007, ESHRE Annual Meeting Lyon July 1-4, 2007VIVECA SÖDERSTRÖM-ANTTILA, Väestoliitto Fertility Clinics, HelsinkiWhen 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 withViveka Söderström.