Medical Oocyte Freezing: Preserving Hope Between Treatment and the Future.
Update Date：2026/03/05，
Views：121
That day in the clinic, a 28-year-old girl sat quietly before me. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer—unmarried and without children. The medical team informed her of a difficult reality: the upcoming chemotherapy could potentially affect her ovarian function.
Her eyes welled up with tears. "Dr. Dong, I don’t know what the future holds, but... I still hope that one day, I can have a child of my own." I have heard this sentence many times, yet every single time, it strikes a deep chord in my heart.
For young cancer patients, battling the illness itself is already a monumental struggle. Yet, they must also face a cruel reality—their fertility could be quietly taken away as a side effect of the treatment.
What we can do is open another door for her.
Oncofertility: Preserving your options for the future before treatment begins.
What is Oocyte Freezing? Why is it closely related to age?
There is an inseparable link between oocyte quality and time. Oocyte quality begins to decline rapidly after age 35, and after 38, it faces a steep, 'cliff-like' deterioration. Oocyte freezing allows women to preserve their oocytes in liquid nitrogen at -196°C during their peak fertile years. Should IVF treatment be required in the future, the oocytes will still retain the quality they had at the moment they were frozen.
1. Social Oocyte Freezing Choosing not to have regrets in the future because:
• No stable partner yet
• Desire to focus on career or advanced studies
• Refusal to be "held hostage" by biological age
• Desire to retain the right to choose in the future
• Concerns about the natural decline of ovarian function over time
This is a proactive choice for managing one's own life.
2. Medical Oocyte Freezing Protecting fertility when it is threatened by illness or medical treatment:
• Cancer patients requiring chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or targeted therapy.
• Individuals at risk of Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) (e.g., family history).
• Patients undergoing ovarian surgery or surgery for endometrioma.
• Individuals with autoimmune diseases requiring long-term medication.
For these patients, oocyte freezing is not just an option—it is a necessity.
The Oocyte Freezing Process: Completion in approximately 2 weeks without delaying treatment.
• Initial Consultation & Evaluation: Includes AMH testing, ultrasound, and general health assessment.
• Day 2–3 of Menstrual Cycle: Follow-up visit to begin medication.
• Ovulation Induction: Administration of ovulation-stimulating injections, with 1–2 follow-up ultrasounds to monitor follicle size.
• Oocytes Retrieval Surgery: The procedure takes approximately 30 minutes.
• Cryopreservation: Oocytes are stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C by the reproductive center.
Most women can return to their normal daily activities the following day.
Safety and Common Concerns about Oocyte Freezing
• Will it lead to early menopause? No. Oocytes freezing simply allows the follicles that would have "naturally withered" to grow simultaneously; it does not accelerate the depletion of your oocyte supply.
• Will it cause Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)? The incidence rate is less than 5%. Most cases involve only mild discomfort, which typically resolves on its own.
How do I conceive after freezing my oocytes? To achieve pregnancy using frozen oocytes, the IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) process is required:
Thawing and Conception
Frozen oocytes are fertilized using IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection). After the embryos are cultured, those of superior quality are selected for transfer. Following the embryo transfer, progesterone support is provided, and a pregnancy test is subsequently performed. The success rate depends primarily on the age and quality of the oocytes at the time of freezing. Generally speaking, freezing oocytes before the age of 35 offers the best chances of future pregnancy.
Overview of Oocytes Freezing Costs and Subsidies
Cost and Subsidy Overview
• Estimated Cost: The cost of oocytes freezing typically starts from NT$80,000 to NT$120,000 (including medications and the first year of storage). The final cost varies based on individual ovarian function and the specific medication plan.
• National "Medical Fertility Preservation" Subsidy: To alleviate the financial burden on cancer patients facing potential loss of fertility, the central government launched the "Medical Fertility Preservation Subsidy Pilot Program" in September 2025. This program provides subsidies for oocyte freezing (or sperm freezing for men) prior to cancer treatment.
• Eligibility & Benefits: > * Target Group: Patients aged 18 to 40 diagnosed with breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or other conditions where physicians assess that treatment may impact fertility.
o Subsidy Amount: Female patients can receive a maximum subsidy of NT$70,000 for oocyte retrieval and cryopreservation. Male patients can receive a maximum of approximately NT$8,000 for sperm cryopreservation.
o Frequency: Each individual is eligible to apply up to twice in their lifetime.
• Objective: This policy aims to ensure that patients can preserve their future fertility options while focusing on their fight against cancer.
• Note: Additional local government subsidies are subject to the latest announcements from respective municipal and county authorities.
Everyone’s path in life follows a different tempo. Relationships, careers, illness… so many of life’s changes are beyond our prediction.
But your fertility is worth securing—a fallback plan for your future self. Whether you are currently battling an illness or simply preparing for what’s ahead, oocyte freezing is a mature, safe, and worthy choice.
If you have any questions, you are more than welcome to discuss them with us at the Reproductive Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital. We are here to protect your future, together.
