Bengaluru woman has healthy baby after fertility treatment for recurrent ovarian tumour

UPDATE - follow-up to Woman with recurrent ovarian tumour delivers healthy baby after fertility-preservation treatment: A 32-year-old woman delivered a healthy baby following fertility preservation and IVF after facing a recurrent ovarian tumour and very low ovarian reserve.

Medical Background

Diagnosed with a borderline seromucinous ovarian tumour with microinvasion at age 30, she underwent a second surgery 15 months later for a large cyst in her left ovary. The tumour recurred in the same ovary just three months after that surgery, leading to her referral to Milann Fertility and Birthing Hospital in Bengaluru.

Treatment

Scans at the hospital revealed a complex cyst in the left ovary, an invisible right ovary, just two visible follicles, and an anti-Müllerian hormone level of 0.6 ng/ml. Doctors recommended removing both ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the omentum as definitive treatment, but the couple wanted to try for a genetically related child. The multidisciplinary team used a two-stage approach, removing affected tissue while keeping access to the rest. They applied a low-oestrogen stimulation protocol for IVF to limit hormonal exposure.

Pregnancy

The first embryo transfer failed, and tests revealed chronic endometritis, which was treated with antibiotics and probiotics. The team then used a natural-cycle frozen embryo transfer and transferred a single high-quality embryo. A test 14 days later was positive, a seven-week ultrasound confirmed a singleton pregnancy, and the woman underwent oncological surveillance alongside pregnancy care before delivering.

Context

Medical teams often balance cancer treatment risks with a patient's personal family goals when managing complex health conditions in young adults. Fertility preservation techniques allow some individuals to have biological children even after undergoing major surgeries.