Breast Cancer Health Center

Tamoxifen Boosts Fertility

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After an average follow-up of 15 months, none of the patients had a recurrence of cancer, he reports.

Celia E. Dominguez, MD, assistant professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, applauds Oktay's work as a "novel idea."

The Cornell researchers are "the experts" in in vitro fertilization, she tells WebMD. "This is a little silver lining, a ray of hope for women who are devastated with news about cancer.

"Any young woman, before she undergoes chemotherapy, needs to see an endocrinologist to discuss fertility," says Dominguez. "Many young women don't realize there are options."

The women in Oktay's study may have had success because the treatment occurred before they had chemotherapy, says Dominguez. "If we can get [these patients] in that window, between surgery and chemotherapy, there is real hope for them."