ReviewBMJ oncology2026
Impact of immunotherapy and small molecule cancer therapy on fertility: a narrative review of current evidence, mechanisms and future directions.
Review in BMJ oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Female Oncofertility in Colorectal Cancer: Reproductive Uncertainties and Potential Benefits of Immunotherapy.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
With increasing cancer incidence among individuals of reproductive age, preserving fertility has become a critical aspect of cancer care. This narrative review explores the impact of contemporary cancer therapies, including immunotherapies and targeted agents, on reproductive health, highlighting clinical fertility outcomes and underlying biological mechanisms. We outline the epidemiology and treatment strategies for malignancies common in adolescents and young adults (AYAs), including breast, melanoma, lung, gynaecologic, colorectal cancers and haematologic malignancies. Basic reproductive physiology in males and females is reviewed, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, ovarian follicle and oocyte development, and spermatogenesis. Clinical data related to fertility and reproductive outcomes in patients receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapy are summarised, along with proposed mechanisms of gonadotoxicity from both conventional chemotherapy and newer drug classes. Special emphasis is placed on immunotherapy, such as checkpoint inhibitors, cell-based therapies (eg, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes) and monoclonal antibodies, and small-molecule inhibitors, including kinase inhibitors (eg, BRAF, MEK, epidermal growth factor receptor), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, epigenetic modifiers and apoptosis promoters (eg, BCL-2 inhibitors). Despite their growing use, these therapies are poorly studied in terms of reproductive safety, with available evidence being limited, heterogeneous and often lacking baseline fertility assessments or long-term follow-up. This uncertainty complicates counselling and decision-making, requiring a precautionary approach to fertility preservation. Multidisciplinary collaboration incorporating oncology, reproductive medicine, psychology and ethics is essential for individualised, ethically sound care. Emerging technologies such as organ-on-chip systems and induced pluripotent stem cell models offer promising avenues for mechanistic insight. To advance the field, future efforts must focus on prospective cohort studies, robust preclinical models and interim clinical guidelines to support informed fertility-related care for cancer patients.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.