Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Freezing your eggs before cancer treatment | CION Cancer Clinics
Many women can freeze their eggs before chemotherapy if there is about two weeks before treatment must start. Hormone injections ripen several eggs, a fine needle collects them under sedation, and they are frozen for later use. For hormone-sensitive cancers the plan is adjusted. It needs only your own consent. This page explains each step, how cancer changes the plan, and who it does not suit. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MM
Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
17+specialists on panel
15,000+patients treated
35+centres across Telangana & AP
4.8★ / 800+Google rating
On this page
- Can you freeze your eggs before chemotherapy?
- What happens from the first visit to the egg collection?
- How is egg freezing changed for women with cancer?
- Should you freeze eggs or embryos?
- What do families often believe about egg freezing that is not true?
- Who is egg freezing not suitable for?
- Common questions about egg freezing before chemotherapy
The short answer
Can you freeze your eggs before chemotherapy?
Yes, many women can, if there is about two weeks before chemotherapy has to begin. Hormone injections help several eggs ripen at once, the eggs are collected with a fine needle, and they are frozen to be used later.
Why it has to come first
Chemotherapy can damage the eggs stored in the ovaries, and in some women it brings on an early menopause. Eggs collected after treatment has begun may have been exposed to the drugs. That is why egg freezing is planned in the gap between diagnosis and the first cycle, not after it.
Who usually asks about it
Egg freezing is often discussed with young women who do not have a partner, or who do not want to create embryos. In India this is common, because many women are diagnosed before marriage. It needs only your own consent. Your parents may be involved in the conversation, but the eggs are stored in your name.
A private question is allowed
Some young women have worries they do not want to raise in front of family, about the internal scan, the collection, or what it means for marriage later. You can ask to speak to the fertility doctor alone. These questions are common, and a good team answers them plainly.
This page explains the process. It cannot tell you whether there is time for it in your case, or how likely a pregnancy is later. Your cancer team and a fertility specialist answer those together.The process
What happens from the first visit to the egg collection?
-
The first fertility visit
A blood test called AMH and an ultrasound scan of the ovaries give a rough idea of how many eggs may be collected. You also have infection blood tests and sign consent forms.
-
Starting the injections
Injections can now be started at almost any point in the monthly cycle, so you rarely need to wait for a period. You or a family member are shown how to give them under the skin at home.
-
Scans every few days
Ultrasound scans and blood tests show how the eggs are growing. The doses may be changed based on what the scans show.
-
The trigger injection
When the eggs are ready, one final injection prepares them for collection, which is timed to happen shortly after.
-
Egg collection
Under sedation, a thin needle guided by a vaginal ultrasound draws the eggs from the ovaries. It takes a short time and you go home the same day. The mature eggs are frozen within hours.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistAdjusted for cancer
How is egg freezing changed for women with cancer?
A fertility centre that works with cancer teams will not use the same plan it uses for other women. These are the changes to ask about.
Starting at any point in the cycle
Called random-start stimulation. It removes the wait for a period and can save a week or more when treatment is close.
Protecting against high oestrogen
The injections raise oestrogen, the main female hormone. For some breast and womb cancers, a tablet such as letrozole is added to keep hormone levels lower during the injections.
Your oncologist decides whether this applies to you.Two rounds back to back
If there is time, a second round of injections can follow straight after the first to collect more eggs. This is only considered when your oncologist agrees the delay is safe.
Working with low blood counts
If your blood counts are low or you have a bleeding risk, the collection may need extra precautions or may not be safe. Your blood tests will be checked before the day.
Side by side
Should you freeze eggs or embryos?
Egg freezing
Embryo freezing
Needs only your own consent
Needs sperm from a partner or donor, and both people's consent
Eggs stay yours to use with a future partner
Embryos belong to both people, which matters if the relationship ends
Some eggs may not survive thawing or fertilise
The fertilisation step has already been done before freezing
The same injections and collection
The same injections and collection, plus fertilisation in the laboratory
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Commonly believed
What do families often believe about egg freezing that is not true?
"The hormone injections will make her cancer grow."
The injections are short, and for hormone-sensitive cancers the plan is adjusted to keep hormone levels lower. Studies so far have not shown a clear harm, though they are still limited. Your oncologist weighs this for your cancer.
"Freezing eggs uses up her eggs and brings menopause sooner."
Each month the ovaries start many eggs, and all but one are normally lost. The injections rescue some of those eggs rather than taking from the reserve. Egg freezing has not been shown to bring menopause forward. Chemotherapy is the bigger risk to the reserve.
"Frozen eggs mean a baby later is certain."
Frozen eggs give a chance, not a promise. The number collected and the woman's age at freezing matter most. Some women never need them because their fertility returns.
"It is only for rich families."
It does cost money, and storage is charged every year. But the price varies widely between centres, and asking for a written estimate before you decide is reasonable.
Did you know
Frozen eggs do not age in storage. An egg frozen at a younger age keeps the quality it had on the day it was frozen, even if it is used many years later.
Honest limits
Who is egg freezing not suitable for?
Egg freezing is not possible for a girl who has not yet started her periods, because the ovaries are not ready to respond to the injections. Ovarian tissue freezing may be discussed instead.
When there is not enough time
Some cancers, such as acute leukaemia, need treatment within days. There is no safe room for a course of injections, and the team will say so. In that situation, ask whether ovarian tissue freezing, or protecting the ovaries with medicine during chemotherapy, is worth discussing.
When the body is not fit for it
A woman who is very unwell, has a serious infection, or whose cancer is causing large amounts of fluid in the abdomen may not be safe for injections or collection. A very low egg reserve may also mean few or no eggs are collected, and the fertility specialist will tell you honestly if that is likely.
Nothing here decides whether cancer treatment should wait. That is your cancer team's decision, made with you.Questions we are asked
Common questions about egg freezing before chemotherapy
How long does egg freezing take before chemotherapy?
The injections usually take about two weeks, followed by the collection. With random-start plans, the whole process can often fit inside the time between diagnosis and the first cycle. The fertility team and your oncologist need to agree the dates together before the injections begin.
Does egg collection hurt?
You are given sedation, so you should not feel much during it. Afterwards, cramps like period pain and some spotting are common for a day or two. Severe pain, a swollen tight belly or breathlessness after the injections need a call to the fertility team the same day.
Can I freeze eggs if I have breast cancer?
Often, yes. For hormone-sensitive breast cancer, a tablet such as letrozole may be added so oestrogen stays lower during the injections. Whether it is right depends on your cancer and how soon treatment must start. Your breast cancer team and the fertility specialist decide this together.
How many eggs will be collected?
It varies a great deal. Age and egg reserve, shown by the AMH test and scan, are the biggest factors. The specialist can give a rough estimate before you start. Only mature eggs are frozen, so the number frozen can be smaller than the number collected.
Is egg freezing allowed for unmarried women in India?
Yes. A woman can freeze her own eggs with her own consent. Later use through IVF is governed by India's assisted reproduction law, and the rules on who may use them can change. Ask the registered fertility centre to explain the current rules and write them into your consent.
Will the injections delay my surgery?
If surgery comes first in your plan, egg freezing can sometimes be done before it or in the recovery period before chemotherapy. Your surgeon and oncologist decide the order. The fertility team works around that order, not the other way round.
What happens to the eggs if I do not use them?
You decide that on the consent form. They can be kept for as long as storage is paid for and the law allows, discarded, or in some cases given for research. You can usually change your mind later, while you are able to make that choice.
Can my periods come back after chemotherapy?
For many younger women, periods return months after treatment ends. That does not always mean fertility is fully back. A fertility specialist can check your egg reserve after treatment and tell you whether trying naturally or using the frozen eggs makes more sense.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationBook an appointment with our specialist
Share your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute — Fertility issues in girls and women with cancer
- American Cancer Society — Fertility and sexual side effects
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Fertility and cancer
- NHS — IVF
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Embryo Freezing: What It RequiresThe option that needs a partner or donorOvarian Tissue CryopreservationWhen there is no time for injectionsFertility Preservation for Unmarried Patients in IndiaConsent, family and the law explainedWhy the Window Closes Before Treatment StartsWhy the two weeks matter
Talk to us
Chemotherapy date already set?
Tell us what has been found so far and when treatment is planned. We will help you reach the right specialist quickly. One helpline serves every CION centre.