Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32388348›Full record

ArticleBreast (Edinburgh, Scotland)2020

Fertility in Breast Cancer Survivors in the Middle East: A Retrospective Study.

Hazem I Assi, Rasha T Kakati, Rose Mary Attieh, Jessica Khoury, Fares Sukhon, Juliett Berro, Eman Sbaity, Ziad Salem, Arafat Tfayli, Ibrahim A Alameh and 1 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pregnancy Health Among Breast Cancer Survivors: Development and Validation of an Educational Package in Iran.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. A multidisciplinary evaluation of fertility preservation for oncology patients in Canada The British Columbia perspective.Canadian Urological Association journal = Journal de l'Association des urologues du Canada · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Hazem I AssiDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: ha157@aub.edu.lb.
Rasha T KakatiFaculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Rose Mary AttiehDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Jessica KhouryDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Fares SukhonDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Juliett BerroDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Eman SbaityDepartment of Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Ziad SalemDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Arafat TfayliDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Ibrahim A AlamehDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
Nagi El SaghirDepartment of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionBy the time they complete breast cancer therapy, many young patients are still of childbearing age. We aim to estimate the incidence of pregnancies in women who completed treatment and examine the percentage of patients who received fertility counseling before initiation of therapy. MATERIAL AND

methodsElectronic health records of breast cancer patients between 2008 and 2014 at AUBMC were screened for exclusion criteria of having metastatic disease or known infertility, still receiving therapy, and being above 42 years at diagnosis. Data about therapy and tumor characteristics was obtained for the included survivors who were interviewed as well via telephone for information about fertility preservation counseling, pregnancy occurrence, and delivery.

results451 breast cancer patients were identified. 39 patients remained after application of exclusion criteria. 30.76% (n = 12) wanted more children at the time of diagnosis. 10.25% (n = 4) of all 39 patients treated for breast cancer achieved one or more pregnancy after a median time of 3.83 years after completion of therapy. 25% (n = 3) of women who wanted more children at diagnosis (n = 12) were able to conceive. 23.07% (n = 9) of patients discussed fertility with their primary oncologist prior to treatment initiation. 35.89% (n = 14) of patients were aware of fertility preservation technique availability, but none of these patients used one.

conclusionsThe observed rate of pregnancy is comparable to the literature. There is a lack in fertility counseling of breast cancer patients, and the rate of use of fertility preservation techniques is very low despite prior knowledge about their availability.

Indexed as

Cancer SurvivorsFertilityAdultBreast NeoplasmsCounselingFemaleFertility PreservationHumansMiddle EastPregnancyRetrospective StudiesBreast cancerChemotherapyCounselingFertilityFertility preservationPregnancy

Identifiers

PMID32388348
PMCPMC7377329

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.