# CGH testing for chromosonal abnormalities and PGD genetic testing ...



## Baby Blue (Feb 20, 2010)

*CGH testing for chromosonal abnormalities and PGD genetic testing ...*

I'm interested in your thoughts and views about the following:

Has anybody explored CGH? Is it available at any of the London clinics?

My consultant said that PGD (which is widely available) was a waste of time but I can't remember why  (so will ask again soon). Does anybody know why this might be?

Thank you,

Baby Blue


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

LWC and Care in Notts offer it in the UK, not sure if there is anywhere else atm. It is offered in the USA at some clinics- Dr Scher at SIRM being an advocate for it - Winky is going to have it and has just had her cons so I am sure will have info for you

L x


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## blueytoo (Oct 5, 2003)

CGH in this country is not full CGH as invented by Dr Sher. The clinics in this country test the eggs and not the embryos. 

PGD isn't as accurate and cannot screen for all abnormalities. It is mainly used by couples that know they carry a specific gene mutation, chromosone abnormality etc.

Dr Gorgy in London is also going to be offering CGH soon.

Claire xx


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## Rose39 (Dec 9, 2007)

Claire - I believe that both types of CGH are now available in the UK (testing on eggs and embryos - though not sure if the embryo testing is identical to that offered by SIRM). At least I was excluded from the LWC CGH trial because I didn't get enough embryos that went to blast on previous cycles - had it been just on the eggs I would have qualified. 

Nottingham Care had success with the CGH array testing on eggs, but I'm not sure what type of CGH they are offering now - Winky would be able to advise.

Rose xx


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## blueytoo (Oct 5, 2003)

Care is definitely doing Array CGH which isn't the CGH that Dr Sher uses as I understand as it tests eggs. They say so here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6817618.ece

The LWC site doesn't have the full info on, but I assume they would be doing Array CGH too.

Dr Sher has the embryos tested and then vitrified for two months as it takes that long to have the results returned as full CGH is more intense and complex.

I would love to know if a clinic in the UK is doing the full and correct CGH as I would definitely consider it for my next cycle if it is done properly.

Claire xx

/links


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## Rose39 (Dec 9, 2007)

Claire - there is a detailed article about it in the Spring 2009 edition of LWC's magazine and it says CGH analysis on embryos. Although I got good numbers of eggs and embryos, most of my embies weren't great quality and I always had day 3 transfer, so that's why I was rejected for the trial, as I would have had to be a good candidate for blast to be included. 

It says in the LWC magazine article that the clinic is partnering with a company called Reprogenetics UK, and if you google Dr Dagan Wells (he is a director of Reprogenetics), you'll see some articles on a similar trial that he conducted in the US, with really good results. 

Hope this helps!

Rose xx


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## Baby Blue (Feb 20, 2010)

Thank you JJ1, Blueytoo and Rose 39  .  

This is all very interesting.

I have discovered that The Lister in Chelsea offer CGH treatment although I don't know which type.  I will check if Guys & St Thomas Hospital offer this too and will let you all know what they say.

Look forward to reading more ...

Baby Blue


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## winky77 (Nov 27, 2007)

Hi ....

Just had my consult at CareNotts last week.....it is the embyros they are testing .....at least that's what all the diagrams seem to be about    I still need to do some reading around it tho. 

lol

..Winky


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## cardi (Mar 5, 2009)

Hello!

Weirdly, we've just been thinking about CGH testing too, as our cons suggested it in our follow-up (following our 3rd failed IVF). He said that only Care in Notts and The Bridge in London do it.. I've since been on to the Bridge website and it seems that they do. Apparently they test up to 8 embies for £2350 and then charge another 195 per embie thereafter - here's the link if you want to have a look: http://www.thebridgecentre.co.uk/treatment-prices.htm#treatments_3 - details are under the heading: Aneuploidy.

After looking slightly stressed about the additional cost, our cons said that the fact that each time we produced lovely blasts this might indicate that our embies were fine with no defects, but we couldn't be 100% sure. He also said that we would be able to go on being scanned etc at our own clinic (in Tunbridge Wells) but would only need to go up to London for the ec and transfer (and the test of course). This obviously would cut down on travel expenses and additional stress.

I don't know what decision we're going to make - although we're leaning towards having another couple of IVFs first and then if our 5th fails, maybe looking at CGH testing then. Our cons doesn't rate immunes testing, but maybe we'd investigate that route too. I'd be interested to know what everyone else decides. It's such a bloomin' headache isn't it? Why can't we just get pg like everyone else!!! 

Good luck
xx

/links


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## Baby Blue (Feb 20, 2010)

Hi, I've found out a bit more about CGH this week so I thought I would share this with you:

Care in Nottingham started CGH last year so they haven't released any statistics about success rates yet.

The Lister started CGH (on frozen embryos) in January this year.  I have a meeting with their embroyologist next week to learn more about the whole process.

Guys don't do CGH as it has not been shown to improve the chances of success for woman over 40 or those with a history of failed IVF or recurrent miscarriage.

Baby Blue


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## cocochanel1 (Oct 15, 2009)

Thanks Baby Blue - I think there are a few of us who will be really interested to hear how your research on this progresses  - thanks for posting. Coco xxx


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## MyrnaH (Sep 10, 2008)

Hi Baby Blue,

LWC in London is curently doing CGH and array CGH. As we speak there is a trial run there by Dr. Dagan Wells from Oxford University. He was in the media a lot last year October, with a very successful CGH trial he did in the US.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6880149.ece

I tracked him last October '09 and he had just started co-operation with the LWC in London. One week later I met him in person when he was giving a presentation of all background of CHG and his research. Excellent information/presentation and a long Q&A session for all interested couples there.

Unfortunately we were excluded from the trial as we already had 3 failed ivfs, but we decided that if we would have enough embryos to test we would go ahead anyway and pay the additional £2300. Trust me, it is not that money is growing on my back (this is all my saving money), but my DH is getting to the end of the line of the whole ivf track after 7 years of TTC and we both wanted more answers to find out what went wrong the previous 3 times. We have had always plenty eggs and good fertilization, but nothing sticks...

So after long protocol we had 16 eggs, 11 mature enough and after ICSI 8 fertilized. Then we waited if and how many would make it to blastocyst stage, so we could have the CGH done. Unfortunately we had a call from the clinic on day 3 that the embryos were okay, but all grade 2 and not 100% sure if they would make blastocyst. We then were advised to go have the day 3, array CGH done (testing chromosome number of 1 cell). After 24 hours we got the results and it turns out only 1 of them had the correct number of chromosomes. That one (4 day old embryo) was but back 3 hours later.

I am currently in my 2WW, so cannot tell you yet if it has been successful. 
What I can tell you though is that I am glad we have had the test done, because before the test was done, the embryologist said that the one healthy embryo had not particularly stood out from the others. And so what would the chances have been that the embryologists would have picked the right one to put back in Even though success is not guaranteed now, I feel we have done everything this time to make it work. 
If we do fail again this time and decide to stop trying with IVF, I think that the decision is based on bit more information and hopefully it will be easier to accept. Lets face it, 1 healthy embryo from 16 collected eggs that is not a great chance...

But right now I am cheering on my little beanie and hope that he or she is the one !!!   

If you want anymore information, more than happy to share what I know.

/links


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Wishing you lots of luck for your beanie xx


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## ♥MillyMax♥ (Nov 21, 2005)

Wishing you lots of luck.  

We have recently had an apt with George @ Care regarding Array CGH and immune therapy and will be looking to start a cycle there in a few months.

Good luck to all.

Jx


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## Damelottie (Jul 26, 2005)

Hello Jennie   

Good luck with the appts  xxxx


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## Baby Blue (Feb 20, 2010)

Dear MyrnaH, firstly I do wish you the very best of luck during the 2WW   and thanks for sharing all of this with me.

I went to see the embroyologist at the Lister who explained the CGH process in more detail.

In a nutshell this is what I was told about the process (if I recall correctly):

Days 0 to 3 are the same as in normal IVF.  On day 3 they retrieve the embryos.  If there are less than 3 (which is more likely in older women like me) they just fertilise them and put them all back. If they find more embryos they do a blastocyst on day 5, freeze the embryos and then send off the embryos to a clinic for genetic testing.  Two weeks later the frozen embryos are returned to the Lister and the best quality frozen embryos with the correct genetic makeup are reimplanted in the womb.  The embryos have a 95% chance of surviving the freezing process.  At the Lister you don't have to make the decision to proceed to CHG until you get to day 3 of your IVF cycle so if you do plan to go for CGH but find you havn't produced enough eggs to continue you don't pay for it.

I have been advised that because of my age CGH is unlikely to help me because I am unlikely to produce enough eggs and definitely not as many as you have.

However, like you, I would definitely pay extra for this if I were in your shoes, and whatever the outcome of your current treatment I'm sure you made the right decision and that you gave yourself the very best chance  .

Wishing you the very best of luck, Baby Blue


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