Can freezing ovarian tissue help girls have babies later?
NCT ID NCT02646384
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study offers girls from birth to age 17 the chance to freeze their ovarian tissue before medical treatments that could harm their fertility, such as chemotherapy or radiation. The tissue is removed surgically and stored. Later, if they want to have children, the tissue can be transplanted back. The study is tracking how many pregnancies and live births result from this approach.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (freezing and storage of ovarian tissue)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help girls who need cancer treatment or other therapies to have a chance at biological children later in life.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage experimental procedure, and it is not yet proven how often it leads to pregnancy. The tissue may not survive transplantation, and risks from surgery exist.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Mar 2017
- Expected to finish
-
Jan 2040
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
Up to 17 years
- Sex
-
Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: (All inclusion criteria must be met.) 1. Female, age birth-17 years 2. Meet at least one of the following three conditions: 1. Have a diagnosis of a medical condition that is expected to result in permanent diminished or complete loss of subsequent ovarian function (e.g. Turner's syndrome) OR have a diagnosis that will create a need for surgery, chemotherapy, drug treatment and/or radiation for the treatment or prevention of the condition (e.g lupus nephritis) or malignancy and is expected to result in permanent diminished or complete loss of subsequent ovarian function. Unlike in males where a semen analysis provides an objective measure of testicular function, ovarian reserve testing remains subjective by evaluation of hormones. Therefore, to objectively qualify a degree of expected diminished loss of fertility is difficult. 2. Or, have a medical condition or malignancy that requires removal of all or part of one or both ovaries. Girls with ovarian or germ cell tumors requiring removal of all or part of one or both ovaries will also be eligible for inclusion in the study. 3. Or, have a newly diagnosed or recurrent disease affecting fertility. 3. For patients undergoing elective removal of all or part of an ovary for fertility preservation only, they must have two ovaries. 4. Sign an approved informed consent and authorization permitting the release of personal health information. The patient and/or the patient's legally authorized guardian must acknowledge in writing that consent for specimen collection has been obtained, in accordance with institutional policies approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Exclusion Criteria: (Any exclusion criteria will disqualify.) 1. Girls with psychological, psychiatric, or other conditions which prevent giving fully informed consent. 2. Girls whose underlying medical condition significantly increases their risk of complications from anesthesia and surgery. 3. Subjects with extensive disease whose therapy is deemed palliative by the medical oncologist will not be selected. 4. Subjects with suspected severe diminished ovarian reserve, such as a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level of \> 15.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Cancer are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Gut bacteria may hold clues to dozens of diseases
- Would families trade daily growth hormone shots for weekly ones?
- Can a gentler blood thinner shield cancer patients from new clots?
- Can more phone calls after cancer surgery keep patients out of the hospital?
- Live music meets virtual reality: can a Three-Session program reach advanced cancer patients in palliative care?
- Matching cancer survivors to the right level of support