What does "cumulative pregnancy rate" mean?

What does "cumulative pregnancy rate" mean? In fact, the disappointment of about 30% of patients after a failed IVF cycle is mainly due to emotional and physical aspects, low chances of success after continuing treatment, and, of course, financial costs. To simplify the assessment of the chances of a successful outcome, the term “cumulative fertility rate” was introduced. The term cumulative comes from the Latin word "cumulare" - to accumulate. According to the actual definition, the "cumulative pregnancy rate" takes into account all pregnancies achieved as a result of several consecutive embryo transfers, regardless of whether these embryos are obtained from so-called fresh cycles or frozen embryo transfers. Interestingly, the “cumulative pregnancy rate” also implies that the chances of becoming pregnant increase with the number of treatment cycles completed. The decision as to whether a woman should proceed with IVF should be a decision of both the fertility specialist and the patient, weighing all medical and non-medical aspects.