Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is a surgical fertility preservation option for patients who cannot delay treatment for ovarian stimulation, involving removal and freezing of ovarian cortical tissue for future use. It is no longer considered experimental in post-pubertal girls and women, with live births reported following grafting of tissue cryopreserved before puberty. It is the only fertility preservation option for prepubertal girls
Testicular tissue cryopreservation for patients unable to provide a semen sample or delay treatment, where testicular tissue is surgically collected and cryopreserved for future fertility potential. It is the only option for prepubertal boys. Although still experimental, it may be offered in anticipation of future clinical use.
For all urgent Referrals and Enquiries
- Complete the Fertility Preservation Referral form
- Email: rsu.fps@thewomens.org.au
Services Available
PFC
- Victorian patients with Medicare card only
- Cancer and non-cancer diagnosis
- For more information our Public Fertility Care page
NOTTCS
- Victorian and interstate patients
- Free fertility Support, ovarian and testicular tissue transport, cryopreservation and storage.*
- Funded transport for patients with a cancer diagnosis aged 25-30.
*For patients with a non-oncological condition: Services will still be available, but transportation of tissue will need to be self-funded by the patient.
In Time
- Victorian and interstate patients
- Free fertility support, ovarian and testicular tissue transportation, cryopreservation, and storage*
- Cancer diagnosis
- Aged 0-24
* For interstate patients without a valid Medicare Card, costs will incur if a fertility preservation consult is required with our fertility preservation team. Please contact us for more details.
Referrals and Enquiries
For all urgent Referrals and Enquiries:
- Complete the Fertility Preservation Referral form
- Email: rsu.fps@thewomens.org.au
Fertility Preservation Nurse:
- Phone: (03) 8345 3227
On-call Reproductive Services Fellow:
- Contact via Women's switchboard: (03) 8345 2000
Essential Information for referral
All referrals must include full demographic details and clinical information, consistent with Fertility Preservation Referral form.
Required information includes:
- Primary diagnosis
- Relevant gynaecological and medical history
- Planned or current treatment, including dates, timing, and location
- Clinician-estimated risk of permanent fertility impairment
Resources
For further detailed information, please refer to the (link to health professional website):
- Fertility Preservation for Oncology Patients Clinical Reference Guide
- Navigating Fertility Conversations: Ethical Guidance on Tissue Preservation for Clinicians in Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology.
- OTC Patient information sheet
- TTC patient Information sheet
- NOTTCS brochure
- In Time brochure
- The Women’s OTC patient information
Frequently asked questions
Any child or young person diagnosed with cancer who is planned to receive potentially gonadotoxic therapy should have a fertility preservation discussion and be considered for referral. This includes patients receiving alkylating chemotherapy, pelvic or abdominal radiotherapy, total body irradiation, or stem cell transplant conditioning regimens.
Our team is available to discuss each case and determine the most appropriate and timely referral pathway. Referral should occur as early as possible, ideally at diagnosis, however, post treatment referrals can still occur.
The only options for prepubertal patients are OTC and TTC, as they are unable to produce mature gametes.
Depending on age, pubertal status, diagnosis, and urgency of cancer treatment, post-pubertal patients may be eligible for:
- Sperm cryopreservation
- Oocyte cryopreservation
- Ovarian tissue cryopreservation
- Testicular tissue cryopreservation
Note: The referral process is the same regardless of the fertility preservation option chosen.
- Fertility preservation should not delay cancer treatment. Please contact The Women’s to discuss options early.
- For children, tissue collection is often performed under the same general anaesthetic as another planned procedure (e.g. central line insertion).
Fertility preservation should be introduced by the treating oncology team, with early referral to specialist reproductive services for detailed counselling. Shared decision-making involving the patient, family, oncology team, and fertility specialists is best practice.
Consent is obtained from parents or legal guardians, with age-appropriate assent from the patient wherever possible. Ethical considerations, future autonomy, and storage duration are discussed.
Coordination, transport, cryopreservation, and storage are provided at no cost to patients.
- Up to 20 years for patients under 18 years
- Up to 10 years for patients ages 18 years and over
- Applications for storage extensions can be made
- OTC is an established standard of care procedure, with over 230 lives births worldwide reported as of 2025
- TTC remains experimental, with no live births reported to date. The first regrafting cases are currently underway in Europe, with outcomes expected from 2026.
Links to relevant national and international clinical guidelines and resources are available here.