The freezing of eggs and sperm (cryopreservation) has been fully reimbursed since last year for cancer patients who undergo heavy treatment likely to affect their fertility.
Public Health Minister, Maggie De Block, has just announced that this technique will be reimbursed for other patient groups, namely “women with so-called ‘borderline’ ovarian tumours and patients who have to undergo stem cell transplantation following a rare, non-cancerous blood disorder”.
“Patients must focus 100% on their recovery. They will still be able to pursue their childhood dreams after treatment,” explains Maggie de Block.
The process is still very costly: 1,300 euros for the cryopreservation of sperm and up to 3,400 euros to freeze eggs.
The Cabinet Minister explained that between mid-April 2017 and mid-January 2018, 303 cancer patients froze their “genetic material for reproductive purposes “, i.e. “209 men and 94 women, including 30 under 16 years of age“.
In Belgium, cryopreservation is available in 18 reproductive medicine centres. Seventeen have signed an agreement with INAMI[1]. Patients can visit these centres to freeze their genetic material for reproduction, free of charge. Of these 17 approved centres, eight welcome patients under 16 years of age.
[1] Institut national d’assurance maladie-invalidité (Belgian National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance).
La Libre (03/4/2018), Le Vif (03/4/2018)