Because with standard ovarian stimulation, estrogen levels can rise 10-20 times above normal, standard fertility treatments are not safe for every patient. At Innovation Fertility, over his two decades of research, Dr. Oktay developed special ovarian stimulation protocols to safely preserve embryos or oocytes to preserve fertility of women with estrogen sensitive conditions. These include breast and endometrial cancer, genetic or medical conditions that create tendency for blood clots or other estrogen-sensitive diseases such as the LAM Syndrome. LAM, or lymphangioleiomyomatosis, is a rare lung disease that affects mostly women of childbearing age. In people who have LAM, abnormal muscle-like cells begin to grow out of control in certain organs or tissues, especially the lungs, lymph nodes, and kidneys. During standard ovarian stimulation, these growths enlarge and worsen the medical condition. The utility of the letrozole protocol may make the IVF or egg freezing procedures safer in LAM patients, by keeping estrogen levels lower.
Dr. Oktay’s letrozole protocol is useful for variety of estrogen-sensitive conditions including the ones mentioned above. He has also developed the tamoxifen IVF protocol, which is an alternative safe protocol for women with breast cancer to preserve their fertility through embryo or oocyte freezing.