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IntroductionTherapeutic advances have significantly improved the prog-nosis of cancer patients [1]. This has generated new expect-ations especially for women of adolescent and reproductiveage for whom an increased hope of recovery from diseaseimplies a prospect of parenthood [2]. Unfortunately, radio-and chemotherapies have major effects on ovarian function,often leading to premature ovarian failure. Over the lastseveral years, different strategies have been developed topreserve female germ cells and, with them, reproductivefunction. Before a cancer treatment is started, parts of ovar-ian cortex can be explanted, cryopreserved and re-implantedorthotopically after clinical remission. With this approach,ovarian and reproductive function can be restored, at leasttransiently, as demonstrated by the birth of naturally con-ceived children [3]. Alternatively, following controlledovarian stimulation, mature oocytes can be retrieved, cryo-preserved and used at later stages to achieve a pregnancywith embryos generated in vitro [4]. Retrieval and storage ofimmature or in vitro matured oocytes may offer an addition-al opportunity for female germ cell preservation in cancerpatients [5]. In fact, germinal vesicle (GV)-stage oocytescan be collected from antral follicles in the absence ofgonadotropin administration and cryopreserved before orafter in vitro maturation (IVM). Therefore, IVM may bepreferable in cases in which tumour estrogen-sensitivityand/or urgency to start therapy conflict with the implemen-tation of a controlled ovarian stimulation treatment. In thisreport, we describe the recovery of immature oocytes fromantral follicles during a laparotomic conservative surgery forovarian cancer. These oocytes were matured in vitro, cry-opreserved by vitrification at the mature stage and subse-quently warmed to pursue a pregnancy in an IVF cycle. Thisexperience offers the proof of principle that opportunisticretrieval of immature oocytes during surgery is a realisticpossibility to preserve female reproductive potential.Case reportIn July 2010, a 38-year-old woman with a previous historyof infertility (one spontaneous abortion in 2005, three intra-uterine inseminations in 2008, and one ICSI cycle in April2010) underwent laparotomic surgery for ovarian adenocar-cinoma. The tumour displayed moderate differentiation(G2) and was staged as IIC according to the FIGO classifi-cation [6]. In the course of intervention, the extent andseverity of lesions required contextual right annexectomyand excision of an intact cyst from the left ovary.In consideration of the clinical condition and desire ofparenthood by the patient, and with approval of the local