BELGIUM (Web Desk) – A cancer survivor has become the first in the world to give birth to a healthy child after doctors restored her fertility by transplanting ovarian tissue which was frozen when she was a child.
It is unlikely to have pregnancy after ovarian transplantation using a ovary tissue frozen before puberty. However, this case marks the first of its kind where in spite of the tissue removal, the woman gave birth to a baby boy.
Born in the Republic of Congo, the patient was five when she was diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia. She moved from Congo to Belgium where the doctors suggested a bone marrow transplant due to severity of the disease.
Her brother was found to be a match, but before the transplant could take place the patient had to undergo chemotherapy. But, in the process chemotherapy can destroy the functioning of the ovaries permanently.
Though successful, experts said questions still remain over the ability of such immature ovarian tissue to develop to produce mature eggs.
Scientists said this case raised the hope for millions of young cancer patients.
