Fertility considerations in targeted biologic therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a review

ConclusionWomen should be advised to avoid conception while taking a TKI. Women on TKIs who are considering pregnancy should be encouraged to plan the pregnancy to minimize inadvertent first trimester exposure. In women who conceive while taking TKIs, the serious risk of relapse due to discontinuation of TKI should be balanced against the potential risks to the fetus. The risk of teratogenicity to a fathered pregnancy with TKI use is considerably lower. Fertility preservation for a woman taking a TKI can be considered to plan a pregnancy with a minimal TKI-free period. With careful monitoring, providers may consider a TKI washout period followed by controlled ovarian stimulation to cryopreserve oocytes or embryos, with a plan to resume TKIs until ready to conceive or to transfer an embryo to achieve pregnancy quickly. Fertility preservation is also indicated if a patient on TKI is requiring a gonadotoxic therapy or reproductive surgery impacting fertility.
Source: Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics - Category: Reproduction Medicine Source Type: research