In order to preserve her fertility, doctors in the UAE have for the first time successfully frozen the ovarian tissue of a minor girl diagnosed with cancer. The ovarian freezing operation was performed by Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Centre in cooperation with ART Fertility Clinics.
The seven-year-old, with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, had a challenging journey with chemotherapy and other treatments followed by a bone marrow transplant — the girl’s brother is the donor.
Before these procedures, however, a team of specialist doctors at the Abu Dhabi Stem Cell Center proactively carried out the cryopreservation of the girl’s ovarian tissue with the consent of her family.
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The decision was taken to mitigate the potential future risks to her fertility posed by high dose of chemotherapy and full-body radiation that are required prior to the bone marrow transplant.
Under the ovarian freezing operation, the minor girl’s ovary was removed and transferred to ART Fertility Clinics in Abu Dhabi for treatment and cryopreservation.
This operation involved cutting ovarian tissue into thin slices and then processing them to protect the cells from damage during the freezing process.
The tissue was then slowly cooled and stored at very low temperatures in liquid nitrogen — at around -196 degrees Celsius (-320.8 degrees Fahrenheit) — with the aim of preserving it for at least 20 years and with the possibility of re-implanting it in the future to increase the patient’s fertility and enhance her ability to reproduce.
Three months after the bone marrow transplant, the girl was in remission, and stable.
Freezing ovarian tissue is one of the modern technologies used worldwide in preserving fertility in the event that a patient’s ovaries are affected by chemotherapy or radiation.
Speaking about the accomplishment, Dr. Rashid Obaid Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Health Workforce Sector at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, said: “ These achievements are a result of Abu Dhabi’s ambitious strategies of its healthcare system, its advanced infrastructure, and its experienced and qualified workforce.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Maysoon Al Karam, Chief Medical Officer at ADSCC. said the achievement represented a major advance in the treatment of paediatric tumours and fertility preservation, and “is in line with our vision to be a leader in providing comprehensive, patient-centered care for bone marrow transplant patients within the Abu Dhabi Bone Marrow Transplant Program”