At the Oncofertility Consortium, we stress the importance of collaboration among clinicians, basic scientists, and the humanities in an effort to ensure that cancer patients have fertility options after treatment. This is no small feat, but the emerging field of oncofertility is constantly evolving as new fertility preservation techniques are developed, existing ones are improved and the impact of gonadotoxic cancer treatment is examined. In a new article written by oncofertility researchers, Katherine E. Dillon and Clarisa R. Gracia, and edited by Jacqueline Jeruss, in the journal, Current Treatments in Oncology, entitled, “Pediatric and Young Adult Patients and Oncofertility,” the authors explore the various fertility preservation options available to pediatric and young adult patients and argue that a team approach is needed between oncologists and reproductive endocrinologists in order to provide the best outcomes for young patients.
Among the fertility preservation techniques currently available, the authors discuss options available for both males and females including lesser known options for females such as oophoropexy (relocating the ovaries out of the radiation field to protect them from exposure during treatment), and hormone replacement therapy for pre-pubertal cancer patients. Options available for males are sperm banking and testicular tissue banking for pre-pubescent males. Testicular tissue banking is still experimental and requires further scientific development.
Increasing numbers of pediatric and young adult cancer patients are surviving well into their reproductive years, therefore the authors state that clinicians need to be informed about the impact of cancer therapies on both males and females, as well as the available fertility preservation techniques for this demographic. They also maintain that it is imperative for clinicians to understand the most recent advances in oncofertility to better understand the future direction of the field and potential fertility preservation techniques that will one day be practiced in a clinical setting. To read, “Pediatric and Young Adult Patients and Oncofertility,” please click here.
Christi Sodano from the Medill School of Journalism brings us the following insight on the global needs in fertility preservation for young patients. Read her first blog post.
_______
By Christi Sodano-
No longer just an old person’s disease, cancer among young people is increasingly prevalent. And...
A retrospective study is being published today that gives us a better idea of the barriers to fertility preservation among women with cancer. In the study, about 1,000 women who were diagnosed with cancer between 1993 and 2007, were asked about their counseling on fertility preservation prior to...
As previous studies have shown, women diagnosed with cancer during their reproductive years often do not receive adequate consultation, and sometimes none at all, regarding the fertility risks of cancer or its treatment. Fertility is a unique survivorship issue that young cancer patients face,...
What does empowerment mean to you? Does it mean giving someone the authority or power to do something… because that’s what you’ll find if you look it up? The word is not a new one – it originated around the 17th century and the meaning has remained largely the same. People have a need for a word...
Students and scientist-organizers of the March 12th Oncofertility 101 course
Last week, the Oncofertility Consortium hosted its second Oncofertility 101 course. In this laboratory-based course, organized by Francesca Duncan, PhD, and Jennifer Pahnke, MS, researchers learn the methods to study...
Breast cancer is the number one cancer women are diagnosed with; however, the survival rate for young women diagnosed with cancer in its early stages has improved considerably over the last 20 years. Today, many young women diagnosed with breast cancer can expect long-term survival, but premature...
In 2007, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern began a program called Cancer Connections. Cancer Connections was a monthly event held for individuals affected by a cancer diagnosis, to learn about services, meet advocacy groups and get the tools needed to manage the...
A few students from the Medill School of Journalism have recently been providing us with their thoughts on oncofertility. Zara Huasini gives us her second post here on the intersection of oncofertility and social media. Read her first blog, Increased Awareness Could Save Fertility of Cancer...
This is the second of a series of blogs that Medill journalism students are writing about their perspectives on oncofertility. Read the first blog by Zara Husaini.
_____________________
By Christi Sodano-
A pioneer in the world of fertility preservation for young cancer patients, Dr. Teresa...
A cancer diagnosis can be daunting to put it mildly, but add to that potentially sterilizing chemotherapy and radiation regimes and a young cancer patient faces a future of uncertainty in terms of their fertility. Fertility preservation is an option which should be discussed with both men and women...
We often discuss the many ways young people can preserve their fertility prior to undergoing medical procedures that may leave them sterile. One of these fertility preservation options, ovarian tissue cryopreservation, or freezing, has recently been reported in the Lancet medical journal, to also...
By Nadia Johnson, Co-Director of the Oncofertility Saturday Academy
On Saturday, February 18th, 31 high school girls hailing from six different local Chicago high schools celebrated the culmination of the sixth annual Oncofertility Saturday Academy (OSA) with a family day and graduation event. OSA...
It's only March and two of the Oncofertility Saturday Academies (OSA) have already completed their graduation ceremonies. With this newest class, the Oncofertility Saturday Academies have educated more than 240 students across the US. Last weekend, Mary Zelinski, PhD, who heads one of the ...
The Oncofertility Consortium recently hosted a group of masters students from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Over the next few weeks, they will be contributing their perspectives to the Oncofertility Blog. Here is one of their stories.
The contents of the Oncofertility Consortium Blog are for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
965 Wilson Road, Room A626B
East Lansing, MI 48824-1316
Phone: 1 (517) 884 6434
Email: oncofert@msu.edu
NOTICE:
Ownership of this website has been transferred from Northwestern University to Michigan State University. Please note that some site information may be inaccurate while adjustments to reflect this organizational change are made.