About us

The Centre for Reproductive Medicine (CRG) at UZ Brussel has been a pioneer for decades in the field of reproductive medicine.
Over the years our centre has excelled with innovative research and has contributed to major developments.

Therefore, we would like to use our expertise to help cancer patients preserve their fertility. That is why, in collaboration with other UZ Brussel departments, we set up a multidisciplinary team to design the care path with regard to Oncofertility.

Thanks to our years of expertise in different areas of fertility we can offer a treatment adjusted to your individual needs as a cancer patient. The CRG has expert knowledge about different fertility techniques: egg cell pick-up, cryopreservation (of cells or tissue), in vitro maturation of egg cells (IVM), testicular biopsy and cryopreservation of testicular tissue, etc. We can also combine these techniques in one single treatment to aim for maximal fertility preservation.
That is not only unique for Belgium, it also increases the chances of a successful pregnancy with the couple's own eggs and sperm.

For the Oncofertility team at UZ Brussel fertility is an intrinsic part of a high-quality life. Therefore it is our aim to ensure that fertility preservation will become a medical routine in the treatment of cancer patients.
In other words, we want to use our know-how and expertise:
  • to offer girls, boys, women and men who are facing cancer treatment the chance to fulfil their desire to have children a later stage through fertility-preserving treatments; and
  • to make both patients and their treating physician(s) aware of the harmful effect of cancer therapy on fertility – and of the options that exist to protect fertility against this impact.

Our concern with fertility preservation does not preclude the effectiveness of the cancer treatment: full and final recovery from cancer is still our main goal. A less effective or incomplete cancer treatment only to preserve fertility is not an option. Unfortunately this means that not every woman with cancer will be eligible for fertility preservation treatment.