Jump to Navigation

Category: Oncofertility

Communicating Fertility to High-Risk Patients

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility, Research
Tags: BRCA, breast cancer, cancer, Egg Banking, Embryo Banking, fertility, Fertility Preservation
Women who have a high risk of breast or ovarian cancer face a number of looming decisions; from whether or not to undergo prophylactic surgery, to electing increased surveillance, to taking risk-lowering medication.  Interwoven with these decisions is the implication each will have on fertility.…
Read More

Oncofertility: Education and the Role of Decision-Making Tools

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, Research, science
Tags: cancer, education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, patient navigation
Education materials, whether in print or web-based, have a large role in helping patients feel confident in their medical decision-making.  Continuing with our overview of Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines, Chapter 3 focuses on the importance of education, and the role of decision-making…
Read More

Communicating Across Diverse and Differently Literate Audiences

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, cancer, education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, publication
We can all remember a time when we have received medical information from our doctor and have walked away with little or no comprehension of what was discussed.  The second chapter in Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships Across Disciplines is entitled Communicating Across…
Read More

The Stupid Cancer Show: Perspectives on Life after Cancer

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, ovarian tissue cryopreservation, Personal stories, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Stupid Cancer
Here at the Oncofertility Consortium, we’re huge fans – both personally and professionally – of Matthew Zachary, the force behind Stupid Cancer; the nation’s largest support community of young adult survivors of cancer.  Created in 2004 (first as Steps for Living, then transitioning into I’m Too…
Read More

Perspectives from the 7th annual Oncofertility Conference

Author image - Brigid Martz Smith By: Brigid Martz Smith -
Categories: Blog, Conferences, Education, Fertility Preservation, General, National Physicians Cooperative, Oncofertility
Tags: Conference, Fertility Preservation, National Physicians Cooperative, Oncofertility
Oncofertility is a multidisciplinary field of experts coming together to provide fertility options to cancer patients.  The multidisciplinary nature of the field was on display during our 7th annual Oncofertility Conference in Chicago, Illinois.  During the course of the conference, we saw presentations from international…
Read More

President-Elect of the American Medical Association To Speak at the 2013 Oncofertility Conference

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Conferences, fertility, Oncofertility
Tags: 2013 Oncofertility Conference, cancer, Fertility Preservation, MD, Oncofertility, Robert M Wah
The Oncofertility Consortium is proud to announce that Robert M. Wah, MD, reproductive endocrinologist, ob-gyn, and president- elect of the American Medical Association (AMA), will be speaking at the 2013 Oncofertility Conference on the evening of September 9th. Dr. Wah practices and teaches at the…
Read More

Tomorrow’s VGR: Psychological Aspects of Fertility Preservation

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, ethics, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, quality of life, social science
Tomorrow, August 8th, we are excited to be hosting Angela Lawson, PhD, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, for our Virtual Grand Rounds (VGR) at 10 AM CDT, entitled, “Psychological Aspects of Fertility Preservation.”…
Read More

After Cancer: Surrogacy As a Fertility Option

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, Fertility Preservation, infertility, Oncofertility, Personal stories, Surrogacy
By Jen Rachman At age 26, I was living my life, self-sufficient, secure and independent. I took care of myself physically and emotionally. Life was nearly perfect, until the routine trip to the gynecologist that wound up saving my life. When you hear the words, “you…
Read More

Breast Cancer Genes Verdict a Triumph for Women

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, BRCA1, cancer, Fertility Preservation, legal, women's health research institute
Below is a guest post by Megan Castle, Program Coordinator for the Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern University.  By Megan Castle Geneticists, researchers, and patients joined in celebration over last [month’s] unanimous Supreme Court ruling involving the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, colloquially referred to…
Read More

Support For Fertility Preservation Is Now An AMA Policy!

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Advocate, Blog, Cancer, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: AMA, Fertility Preservation, infertility, insurance, Oncofertility
Should insurance companies cover the expenses of fertility preservation when a young cancer patient is at risk of losing their fertility as a result of their treatment? This is what members of the Michigan delegation asked the American Medical Association (AMA) to support by lobbying…
Read More

Get Empowered, A New Video Series for Childhood Cancer Survivors

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Education, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, Fertility Preservation, Get Empowered, Northwestern University, Oncofertility, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cancer survivorship starts at the time of disease diagnosis and continues throughout the rest of the patient’s life. Many survivors experience physical, emotional and day-to-day challenges after cancer treatment is done making survivorship a life-long journey. As a result, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center…
Read More

New Study Aims to Better Understand the Cause of “Chemo Brain”

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, clinical research, Northwestern University, Oncofertility, tamoxifen
Below is a guest post by Anthony J. Ryals, PhD, discussing a new study underway at Northwestern University looking at the effect chemotherapy and hormone depletion have on memory and cognition in cancer survivors.  By Anthony J. Ryals, PhD Prior research has indicated that up to…
Read More

TOMORROW: Virtual Grand Rounds Talks Sexuality After Cancer

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, Northwestern University, Oncofertility, sex, sexuality, virtual grand rounds
Tomorrow, June 13th, we are excited to be hosting Kamaljeet Murthy, MD, Instructor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, for our Virtual Grand Rounds (VGR) at 10 AM CDT, entitled, “Sexual Side Effects from the Treatment of Gynecologic Cancer.” Treatment for…
Read More

California Bill AB 912, Mandated Fertility Preservation, Moves On to the Senate

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: Advocate, CA Bill AB 912, cancer, Fertility Preservation, insurance
On Wednesday, May 29th, the California Assembly passed Bill AB 912. On July 10th, it will be addressed by the California Senate Health Committee. For those of you who are unfamiliar with California Bill AB 912, it is a bill that would require a health…
Read More

Registration is Now OPEN for the 2013 Oncofertility Conference, September 9 & 10

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Conferences, Education, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, science
Tags: cancer, clinical research, Egg Banking, Embryo Banking, fertility, Fertility Preservation, oncofert13, Oncofertility, ovarian tissue cryopreservation
We have exciting news to share – registration for the 7th annual Oncofertility Conference: Cancer and Fertility Around the Globe is now open! Please visit the conference webpage to view the agenda, speaker biographies,  submit an abstract (submissions closed) for the poster session, and to…
Read More

The Annual National Women’s Survivors Convention – August 22-24, 2013!

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, Fertility Preservation, NWSC, Oncofertility, quality of life, women survivors alliance
There are nearly 7 million women survivors in the United States, 54.7% of all cancer survivors. These facts highlight the need to move survivorship education into the forefront of the conversation about cancer and thus, the Women Survivors Alliance (WSA) was born – created by…
Read More

Join Us for the 20th Annual Cancer Survivors’ Celebration & Walk on June 2nd!

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility, Research
Tags: cancer, Northwestern University, Oncofertility, Personal stories, Research, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Cancer survivors, their families and friends, and the Northwestern community that supports them
, will come together on National Cancer Survivors Day, June 2nd, to walk and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center’s signature event, the Annual Cancer Survivors’ Celebration &…
Read More

A Day in the Life of the Woodruff Enterprise

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, Research, science
Tags: Fertility Preservation, infertility, Institute for Women's Health Research, Oncofertility, Research, teresa k woodruff, WHRI
by Megan Carlson, Guest Blogger for the Oncofertility Consortium My name is Megan, and I will be your guest blogger for today. I’m a journalism graduate student who had the great pleasure of shadowing Dr. Teresa Woodruff Tuesday as part of my health and science…
Read More

OMG2013 Cancer Summit Follow-Up: Talking Fertility

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, Research
Tags: cancer, Egg Banking, Embryo Banking, Fertility Preservation, infertility, Laxmi Kondapalli, OMG!2013, Oncofertility, Sperm Banking, Stupid Cancer
Many of you may already know about the widely popular organization, Stupid Cancer, but for those of you who are new to our blog, Stupid Cancer is the nation’s largest support community for young adult survivors of cancer. They support a global network of survivors,…
Read More

Q&A With Clarisa Gracia: A Follow Up to “Case Studies in Oncofertility”

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, CME, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, social science
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 pediatric girls, adolescents,…
Read More

2013 National Infertility Awareness Week: April 21st-27th

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Education, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: Egg Banking, Embryo Banking, Fertility Preservation, infertility, NIAW, Oncofertility, ovarian tissue cryopreservation, Sperm Banking
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…
Read More

New Research Suggests No Link Between Ovarian Cancer and Fertility Drugs

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, fertility, Fertility Preservation, General, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, clinical research, Fertility and Sterility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, ovarian cancer, publication
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. Hormone receptor…
Read More

California Bill AB 912: Mandated Fertility Preservation Coverage

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility
Tags: AB 912, Advocate, Fertility Preservation, insurance, Oncofertility
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, thinks so too and recently…
Read More

New Chemo Drug Gentler on Fertility, Tougher on Cancer

By: Oncofertility Admin -
Categories: Blog, Cancer, Fertility Preservation, In the news, Oncofertility
Tags: cancer, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility, teresa k woodruff, Woodruff Lab
By Marla Paul 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…
Read More
Back To Top