Despite rising cancer rates in younger women, fertility preservation support remains critically underused. A study of over 279,000 women aged 18–40 found that only 3.4% received any fertility preservation counseling or procedures. While visits increased six-fold between 2015 and 2025, experts say awareness, access, and cost barriers still leave the vast majority without support.
Cancer is increasingly striking younger women — and so is the desire to have children later in life. Yet a large new study presented at the ASCO Quality Care Symposium reveals a striking gap: only 3.4% of women aged 18–40 diagnosed with cancer received any fertility preservation support, whether counseling or procedures.
The good news? Things are slowly improving. Fertility preservation visits jumped more than six-fold between 2015 and 2025, and researchers say targeted referral optimization could help close the gap without disrupting cancer treatment timelines.
Why it matters: With early-onset cancer on the rise and more women delaying childbearing, fertility preservation is becoming a critical — and underserved — part of oncology care. ASCO updated its guidelines in 2025 urging clinicians to discuss fertility at diagnosis and throughout survivorship. Closing this gap means tackling workforce shortages, cost barriers, and awareness gaps head-on.
