Discussion on Ethical Value and Application Principle of Cryopreservation and Transplantation of Human Ovarian Tissue / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

In recent years, with the continuous progress of medical technology, the survival rate of cancer patients after treatment has been continuously improved, and more and more young cancer patients begin to pay attention to the fertility problem after survival. For prepubertal or adolescent cancer patients who require urgent chemoradiotherapy, and for reproductive female patients, ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) follows by transplantation is the only option to preserve their fertility at present. Although the OTC technology has been carried out as a routine clinical project in a few medical institutions in China, it is still in the stage of clinical trial research in majority medical institutions. There are still many technical and ethical challenges in clinical practice of OTC technology. Therefore, this paper discussed the ethical principles that should be followed in clinical practice of human OTC and transplantation, and briefly analyzed the corresponding ethical issues. When implementing this technology, the indications should be followed strictly, the wishes of patients should be respected and true and full informed consent should be obtained while ensuring that the cancer treatment of patients is not delayed. Besides, it is significants to accumulate enough experience for minor patients to fully protect their rights and interests and promote the construction of relevant national laws and regulations.