Every now and then I run across unusually good advice to friends and loved ones of infertility patients. This Q&A by Dr. Miriam Stoppard on UK's Daily Mirror is one such piece.
Titled How can I help my daughter cope with not having children?, Dr. Stoppard's response explains both succinctly and thoughtfully some of the emotions that infertile people experience. She also describes in understandable terms a healthy frame of mind that family and friends can adopt toward loved ones to lend respect to the individual's experience and journey.
This is a nice one to clip and pass around.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
When Fertility Really Is About Your Diet
No woman wants to be told she needs to lose weight, least of all my patients who have struggled (sometimes for years) with trying to get pregnant. Whether we decide their fertility treatment will include fertility medications, IVF, IUI, or some other assisted reproductive technology, the best starting point is a healthy body -- and for many, that means coming to a more optimal weight.
This article in the Belfast Telegraph describes a rather novel approach to meeting the challenge of weight versus fertility, specifically as it relates to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), one of the most common causes of female infertility.
Are there similar programs in the United States?
This article in the Belfast Telegraph describes a rather novel approach to meeting the challenge of weight versus fertility, specifically as it relates to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), one of the most common causes of female infertility.
Are there similar programs in the United States?
Friday, October 2, 2009
Another Step Forward Toward Fertility Preservation
A drug used to treat ovarian cancer (cisplatin) promotes egg cell death by way of a particular enzyme. The good news: a drug used to treat a different (but related) disease, chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), protects egg cells from cisplatin's killing effects.
Researchers in Italy have published their interesting conclusions in the online edition of Nature Medicine (see a HealthDay News report on the Medline website.)
So far, these are initial studies performed with mice, but the call by cancer patient advocates for such research is loud enough that follow-ups shouldn't be far behind.
Researchers in Italy have published their interesting conclusions in the online edition of Nature Medicine (see a HealthDay News report on the Medline website.)
So far, these are initial studies performed with mice, but the call by cancer patient advocates for such research is loud enough that follow-ups shouldn't be far behind.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Fertility Preservation and Oncology
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.
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.
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.
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