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In April, the Oncofertility Consortium hosted a Virtual Grand Rounds with Clarisa Gracia, MD, MSCE, entitled, "Case Studies in Oncofertility," in which she discussed five theoretical young cancer patients and how oncofertility could be incorporated into their medical care. These patients included...
Did you know that this week is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW)? NIAW is a movement that began in 1989 to raise awareness about the disease of infertility and encourage the public to understand their reproductive health. RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association founded this movement...
Since the 1990s, researchers have published conflicting results about the connection between cancer risk and fertility drugs. As a result, there has been a lingering concern among women that using fertility drugs may increase their risk for later developing hormone receptor positive cancers....
Wouldn’t it be great if insurance companies were required to provide coverage for medically necessary expenses for standard fertility preservation services when a medical treatment may directly or indirectly cause infertility to an enrollee or insured? California Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva,...
A new gentler chemotherapy drug in the form of nanoparticles has been designed by Northwestern Medicine® scientists to be less toxic to a young woman’s fertility but extra tough on cancer. This is the first cancer drug tested while in development for its effect on fertility using a...
There are an estimated 13 million cancer survivors living in the US today, with projected growth to 18 million by 2020. As a result, many healthcare groups and cancer centers are not equipped to address their growing survivor populations. Stemming from this need for quality after care, researchers...
This is the final installment in a two-part blog story featuring Oncofertility Consortium member, Gregory Dolin, MD, JD, focusing on his recent Oncofertility Virtual Grand Rounds presentation. To read the 1st blog, click here.
In his presentation, Dr. Dolin highlighted some of...
Cancer during pregnancy is rare, occurring in approximately one out of every 1,000 pregnancies, with breast cancer being the most commonly diagnosed. In the past, both healthcare providers and women were often unclear about how to proceed with a pregnancy after a cancer diagnosis without...
Fertility preservation in young cancer patients has come a long way in the last decade, as both patients and the medical community have galvanized to improve the information and reproductive technologies available surrounding oncofertility. In response to the increased likelihood of young men and...
Several of our recent blog posts have discussed fertility preservation in females, so we’d like to take a little time to shine a light on some interesting oncofertility research focused on males. The Oncofertility Consortium is committed to exploring the reproductive future of all young cancer...
Below is a guest post by Oncofertility Consortium favorite and cancer survivor extraordinaire, Jenna Benn. Jenna is a young adult Gray Zone Lymphoma survivor, who preserved her fertility prior to beginning her cancer treatment in 2011. In the excerpt below, she writes about her experience as a...
Oncofertility is an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of oncology and reproductive science. While those two fields make up the breadth of this discipline, it only touches the surface of what future clinicians need in their academic repertoire to successfully navigate this field. In “...
The month of November kicks off the sixth annual Movember fundraising campaign to raise vital awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. Every November, men are encouraged to grow out their moustaches for the entire month in support of...
Talking with teenagers about fertility can be awkward and uncomfortable. Talking with teenagers and their families about a cancer diagnosis is devastating. How do we do both at the same time and ensure that the importance of fertility preservation is understood in light of the traumatic timing?...
Oncofertility is a multidisciplinary field requiring experts from a variety of different backgrounds including endocrinology, oncology, bioethics, urology, etc., in order to provide fertility options to cancer patients. In the oncofertility book series, each edition focuses on a specific component...
I just returned from the annual Oncofertility Consortium Conference and one of the ethical topics that came up was the possibility of disputes over frozen reproductive materials. Before undergoing life-saving cancer treatment, people may opt to freeze gametes, gonadal tissue, or embryos in order to...
More and more healthcare organizations, hospitals, and clinics are interested in learning about fertility preservation and how exactly an oncofertility program is developed. The Oncofertility Consortium holds a 1-day course entitled, Clinic 101, to teach health care providers the necessary steps...
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.