Fertility Preservation Options in the Face of Cancer

Your patient just received devastating news: she has cancer. As treatment options and anxieties swirl, more and more women are now faced with another issue: how will the cancer and its treatment impact their fertility?

Although cancers generally affect older women, women of childbearing age are also impacted. In addition, increasing numbers of women are delaying reproduction and may arrive at this diagnosis thinking fertility was on their horizon. Fortunately, strategies for fertility preservation exist.

So how do you counsel such a patient? Here, Dr Janet McLaren, assistant professor in the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, offers options for fertility preservation as well as resources for you and your patient.

Fertility Preservation Options in the Face of Cancer

Additional Resources

For Clinicians:

Azim AA, Costantini-Ferrando M, Oktay K. Safety of fertility preservation by ovarian stimulation with letrozole and gonadotropins in patients with breast cancer: a prospective controlled study. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26(16):2630-5.

American Society of Clinical Oncology Recommendations on Fertility Preservation in People Treated for Cancer

“Fertility preservation and reproduction in cancer patients,” The Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, American Society for Reproductive Medicine

For Clinicians and Patients:FERTLINE
Fertline provides resources for clinicians and patients and is a good one-stop source to have questions answered.

Fertile Hope
Fertility Hope’s website has a risk calculator as well as fertility resource guide.

American Cancer Society: Information on Preserving Fertility
ACS’s website provides support, information, and answers to frequently asked questions.

The Oncofertility Consortium at Northwestern University
The Consortium has professional resources, news, and information as well as patient support and information.