Impact of immune checkpoint inhibition on ovarian reserve

The Oncologist 2026 Open access

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Authors: Elizabeth I Buchbinder, Zihe Song, Justine V. Cohen, Sandra Lee, Kimberly Keefe Smith, Michael P. Manos, Ahmad A. Tarhini, Michael Dougan
DOI: 10.1093/oncolo/oyag048
Cited by: 4
References: 3

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) has become a mainstay of therapy for various types of malignancy and is being used earlier in the course of therapy. In addition, there are many young women diagnosed with cancers for whom ICI is the standard of care. However, the impact of ICI on fertility is unknown and hard to assess. To evaluate this, we performed an analysis of hormones associated with ovarian reserve in young women with melanoma treated with ipilimumab. Our study showed a reduction in anti-Mullerian hormone, a marker of ovarian reserve, in patients with melanoma treated with either ICI or targeted therapy. These results support the need for further work in this area to better understand the impact these therapies have on fertility.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment PARP inhibition in cancer therapy Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers

Publication details

Journal / source
The Oncologist
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Volume
31
Issue
3
Publication date
5 February 2026
Language
EN