Category: News

The iExperiment project is an ongoing collaboration between the Oncofertility Consortium and NUIT A&RT. The office-based systems include large displays, high-definition cameras and Vidyo equipment, which allow full participation and interaction with any of the microscope computers conducting an experiment anywhere in the world. Watch…

A publication in Human Reproduction highlights the ability to culture secondary follicles from cryopreserved macaque ovarian tissue. The authors Ting, Yeoman, Lawson, and Zelinski compared ovarian tissue after slow-freezing or vitrification and found that vitrification appeared to better maintain the morphology of stromal cells and…

In a recent publication in Tissue Engineering, Oncofertility Consortium researchers examined the use of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) in conjunction with a 3D-hydrogel-supported culture of ovarian follicles. Authors, Tagler, Tu, Smith, Anderson, Tingen, Woodruff, and Shea, found that coculture with the MEFs resulted in the…

In a publication in Tissue Engineering, Oncofertility Consortium researchers identified new methods that may be utilized to increase the success of ovarian transplantation after cryopreservation. When ovarian tissue is transplanted back into a woman who preserved her fertility, revascularization of the tissue takes some time,…

In a publication from Human Reproduction, Oncofertility Consortium researchers investigate how common patient-specific variables, such as age, weight, and stage in the menstrual cycle, may affect the culture of ovarian follicles. Authors, Hirshfeld-Cytron, Duncan, Xu, Jozefik, Shea, and Woodruff examined how in vitro follicle growth…

The field of adolescent and young adult oncology (AYAO) is developing and evolving, providing fertile ground for debate, discussion and the exchange of opinions. In the “Controversies” feature of the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, the editors pose a key AYAO question to…

In this new study, the authors used the characteristic architecture of the rhesus macaque ovary, which is similar to the human ovary in terms of morphology and physiology, to devise robust isolation and culture methods for primate primordial follicles. Primordial follicles are con- fined to…

Survival takes precedence for adolescent patients with cancer and their families. Patients may not discuss their treatments’ potential to damage their reproductive capacity, which has significant psychological late effects in survivorship. This new study aims to identify whether a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument intended…

Oncofertility Consortium researchers David M. Lee, MD, and Mary B. Zelinski, PhD discuss battling cancer while maintaining the ability to have kids on The OHSU Effect: Inside Health & Science news radio show. Mary Zelinski is an Associate Scientist in the Division of Reproductive Sciences at Oregon Health and Science…

  Congratulations are in order for Kate Timmerman, PhD, Program Director for the Oncofertility Consortium, who was just named by the American Association of Medical Colleges to the Women in Medicine and Science Steering Committee. This is an exceptionally important committee and the appointments are nationally competitive. This leadership…

New article in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics from Oncofertility Consortium members, Jayeon Kim, Anne Z Steiner, Marc Fritz, Jennifer E Mersereau, entitled, “Severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome after letrozole-gonadoptropin stimulation: a case report.” The authors report on a case of severe ovarian hyperstimulation…

Congratulations are in order for Professor Teresa Woodruff, Director of the Oncofertility Consortium, on her election to the presidency of The Endocrine Society.  The Endocrine Society was founded in 1916 and is the premier organization whose mission is to advance scientific discovery, medical practice and…

Oncofertility Consortium members argue in a new journal article, entitled, The Gynecologist Has a Unique Role in Providing Oncofertility Care to Young Cancer Patients, that the gynecologist is in a unique position to join the oncofertility healthcare team in providing young cancer patients with up-to-date…

As many of you may already know, Pinterest is the latest social networking phenomenon where subscribers use a virtual pinboard to share information about themselves with their followers. Keeping with our committment to stay on top of the social networking scene, the Oncofertility Consortium is…

The Oncofertility Consortium was launched in 2007 with a grant from the National Institutes of Health and represents a nationwide, interdisciplinary, and interprofessional network of medical specialists, scientists, and scholars who are exploring the relationships between health, disease, survivorship and fertility preservation in young cancer…

Survival to reproductive age among men with cancer has steadily increased and yet cancer therapy and cancer itself may carry the risk of infertility. Since 2006, Northwestern University has used a formalized fertility preservation program with expedited fertility care. In a recent article published in…

Oncofertility researchers Clarisa Gracia, Sanghoon Lee, Christopher Morse, and Jennifer Mersereau published a new article in Fertility and Sterility detailing the results of a study performed over five years. These researchers evaluated predictors of undergoing fertility preservation treatment (FPT) in 108 women with breast cancer…

A new publication from oncofertility researchers Jessica Gorman, Samantha Bailey, John Pierce, and Irene Su focuses on young adult female cancer survivors and fertility. Often young adult cancer survivors are unaware of their fertility status and uninformed regarding their fertility and fertility preservation options. This…

Breast cancer development involves a series of mutations in a heterogeneous group of proto oncogenes/tumor suppressor genes that alter mammary cells to create a microenvironment permissive to tumorigenesis. Exposure to hormones during infertility treatment may have a mutagenic effect on normal mammary epithelial cells, high-risk…

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) just released their latest pamphlet on cancer survivorship. Listed in the resources section for cancer survivors, is MyOncofertility.org! Click on the link below to peruse this informative new pamphlet (skip to page 22 for a list of survivorship…

Oncofertility Consortium Founder and Director, Teresa K. Woodruff and the Women’s Health Science Program for High School Girls at Northwestern University were recognized in Congress by Representative Janice Schakowsky on Monday, December 12th, for their outstanding work providing opportunities for girls and women to improve the…

Read the December 2011 edition of the Endocrine News to learn more about SaveMyFertility.org and and how it’s helping both patients and health-care providers focus on fertility. The article discusses how the Oncofertility Consortium and the Hormone Foundation partnered up to develop SaveMyFertility.org and the…

Chemotherapy can save the lives of many individuals with cancer. Unfortunately, it usually causes infertility after treatment, posing a concern for these people who will face a lifetime condition that considerably limits the quality of their lives. Advances in the field of oncofertility have brought hope to…