In this New York Times piece, Jane Brody quotes the University of North Carolina's Fertility Preservation Program as estimating that a mere quarter of U.S. oncologists address fertility issues with their patients prior to infertility-causing chemo or radiation treatments.
It's encouraging to see someone as widely read as Ms. Brody helping put the word out about fertility preservation. However, she was a tad off the mark in her reference to the obstacles of cost and timing.
In fact, rather than the "tens of thousands of dollars" that Brody says fertility preservation will cost cancer patients, fertility specialists can assist women with egg freezing for roughly half that amount. Simply freezing sperm costs even less. Creating embryos and then freezing them is the most costly option, but patients should consider that the transfer and resulting monitoring (and related fees) will be delayed by a few years. Additionally, many reproductive experts are aligning with Fertile Hope's Sharing Hope program to further alleviate the financial burden for eligible patients.
Timing is particularly important to oncologists and their patients. Contrary to Ms. Brody's comment about appointment scheduling taking "months," some fertility specialists are especially vigilant about getting cancer patients in within days of their diagnosis.
Kudos to Jane Brody and the New York Times for continuing to spread the word. It is this sort of attention from highly respected media outlets that will eventually encourage more oncologists to make fertility preservation part of standard patient care.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Women Want Working Options for Motherhood
At last November's ASRM meeting, some of us had the pleasure of listening to Lindsay Nohr Beck, the founder of Fertile Hope, present the patient's perspective on egg freezing. A podcast of that presentation is now online and available.
I think you'll find Lindsay's remarks (and the photos of her beautiful children) to be meaningful. The point she consistently boils down to is that women want the option to freeze their eggs, and they want it to work.
I think you'll find Lindsay's remarks (and the photos of her beautiful children) to be meaningful. The point she consistently boils down to is that women want the option to freeze their eggs, and they want it to work.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
TV Reflecting Hopeful New Reality
Especially after hearing from my staff (who atttended the annual Young Survivors Conference in Dallas last month ) about the mix of hope and anguish that young women with cancer express about their future motherhood, it was reassuring to see the very popular TV show, Grey's Anatomy, work the forethought of fertility preservation into a current, compelling storyline.
A young woman must undergo intense and immediate treatments for invasive cancer. Her colleagues and friends think ahead for her and automatically include the OB team in her treatment plan.
In this related scene, the cancer patient's boyfriend reveals the understandable and expected emotions involved as people struggle to muster hope amid fears:
A young woman must undergo intense and immediate treatments for invasive cancer. Her colleagues and friends think ahead for her and automatically include the OB team in her treatment plan.
In this related scene, the cancer patient's boyfriend reveals the understandable and expected emotions involved as people struggle to muster hope amid fears:
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Men, Infertility, & Cancer
A large study published in February's Archives of Internal Medicine links testicular cancer to men who are seeking fertility treatment.
The researchers analyzed data from over 22,500 men in couples who sought fertility treatment between 1967 and 1998. After comparing against cancer registry data, the study authors concluded that the men were 1.3 times more likely to develop testicular cancer, and that those with male factor infertility were 2.8 times more likely.
Rather than believe that infertility treatment is the culprit, the researchers feel it's more plausible that the men have something else in common, for example, exposure to certain environmental toxins or faulty DNA repair, that increases their risks of both infertility and cancer.
There are times when seeking a diagnosis for fertility problems can result in other seemingly unrelated health conditions turning up. This study is another example of how a body's reproductive function can sometimes serve as a red flag indicator for overall health.
The researchers analyzed data from over 22,500 men in couples who sought fertility treatment between 1967 and 1998. After comparing against cancer registry data, the study authors concluded that the men were 1.3 times more likely to develop testicular cancer, and that those with male factor infertility were 2.8 times more likely.
Rather than believe that infertility treatment is the culprit, the researchers feel it's more plausible that the men have something else in common, for example, exposure to certain environmental toxins or faulty DNA repair, that increases their risks of both infertility and cancer.
There are times when seeking a diagnosis for fertility problems can result in other seemingly unrelated health conditions turning up. This study is another example of how a body's reproductive function can sometimes serve as a red flag indicator for overall health.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Concerns About the Octuplets' Conception
The birth last week of octuplets -- eight babies from one pregnancy -- is widespread news. For those of us whose work is all about helping creating new life, the news is bittersweet.
As strong as the yearning for a child can be, virtually no one believes that multiple pregnancies and births are the optimal situation for either the parents or the children. I do occasionally encounter hopeful parents-to-be who get excited at the prospect of completing their family with two or three children in one pregnancy. More babies than that, however, present far more soul searching opportunity than most people encounter in a lifetime.
Details of the California octuplets' conception are now being shared publicly, with the babies' grandmother reporting that her daughter (the mother) indeed used IVF. Reproductive experts would find the transferring of eight or more embryos into a woman's uterus after conception by in vitro to be medically unethical. High-order multiples (more than twins) are most often the result of unchecked use of superovulation medication and possibly intrauterine insemination.
The responsible use of ovulation medication includes monitoring to check on the drugs' effects and, sometimes, canceling a cycle if too many eggs became available for fertilization whether by IUI or intercourse. The reason for such cancellation is to ensure the health of the patient and to avoid a pregnancy with high-order multiple babies.
With IVF, there was a time when fertility experts routinely transferred up to five embryos, depending on the cause of infertility and, notably, the woman's age and health condition. But because of how different facets of the IVF process have improved, that practice is no longer necessary. Now, we routinely transfer only two or three embryos per IVF cycle and even a single embryo when the patient would have a good chance at pregnancy with only one.
Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief at the relatively good condition of the eight babies and their mother. Still, reports about the mother's family-building goals and that she was assisted by a still-unnamed fertility expert leave us all dismayed and concerned.
As strong as the yearning for a child can be, virtually no one believes that multiple pregnancies and births are the optimal situation for either the parents or the children. I do occasionally encounter hopeful parents-to-be who get excited at the prospect of completing their family with two or three children in one pregnancy. More babies than that, however, present far more soul searching opportunity than most people encounter in a lifetime.
Details of the California octuplets' conception are now being shared publicly, with the babies' grandmother reporting that her daughter (the mother) indeed used IVF. Reproductive experts would find the transferring of eight or more embryos into a woman's uterus after conception by in vitro to be medically unethical. High-order multiples (more than twins) are most often the result of unchecked use of superovulation medication and possibly intrauterine insemination.
The responsible use of ovulation medication includes monitoring to check on the drugs' effects and, sometimes, canceling a cycle if too many eggs became available for fertilization whether by IUI or intercourse. The reason for such cancellation is to ensure the health of the patient and to avoid a pregnancy with high-order multiple babies.
With IVF, there was a time when fertility experts routinely transferred up to five embryos, depending on the cause of infertility and, notably, the woman's age and health condition. But because of how different facets of the IVF process have improved, that practice is no longer necessary. Now, we routinely transfer only two or three embryos per IVF cycle and even a single embryo when the patient would have a good chance at pregnancy with only one.
Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief at the relatively good condition of the eight babies and their mother. Still, reports about the mother's family-building goals and that she was assisted by a still-unnamed fertility expert leave us all dismayed and concerned.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Coping With a Ticking Clock When You're Single
As I was exploring the Internet for fertility-related news the other day, I came up with this link to a psychologist's thoughts on single women and their biological clocks.
In "Tick-tock goes your biological clock" on Examiner.com, Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman makes some insightful comments on how single women might approach their natural drive to have a baby. I was frankly surprised to see that she included egg freezing as one of the alternatives to quickly tracking down a mate. Apparently, word is really getting out beyond the infertility world that we have turned a bend in family planning.
If you're single and wondering about whether fertility treatments might be your answer to quiet a clanging clock, please feel free to inquire. Don't lose precious time simply by failing to educate yourself.
In "Tick-tock goes your biological clock" on Examiner.com, Dr. Paulette Kouffman Sherman makes some insightful comments on how single women might approach their natural drive to have a baby. I was frankly surprised to see that she included egg freezing as one of the alternatives to quickly tracking down a mate. Apparently, word is really getting out beyond the infertility world that we have turned a bend in family planning.
If you're single and wondering about whether fertility treatments might be your answer to quiet a clanging clock, please feel free to inquire. Don't lose precious time simply by failing to educate yourself.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Upcoming Seminar on Fertility Preservation
On Monday, January 19th, I will be speaking to a public audience on the topic of egg freezing for fertility preservation.
Hosted by the Young Survivors Coalition, a non-profit breast cancer support and advocacy group, my primary focus will be on the potential for women who are newly diagnosed with cancer to protect their eggs from sterilizing effects of chemo or radiation therapy.
Our primary goal is to continue getting the word out there, so that pre-cancer treatment fertility preservation considerations are standard of care in the oncology field. I welcome attendance at these presentations by patients and professionals alike.
I like to present in a casual Q&A style, so please feel free to come with your questions.
The location will be one of the facilities of The Rose, an organization committed to helping all women be adequately screened for breast cancer.
When: Monday, Jan 19th, 6:30 PM
Where: The Rose, 12700
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This presentation is made possible in part by Fertile Hope and Organon, a part of Schering-Plough Corporation.
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