My Cancer Fertility

Cancer & Fertility

When you’re treating a patient with cancer, it’s easy to ignore the impact of treatment on their fertility. But, it’s crucial that you take the lead in talking to them about oncofertility. For your patients, fertility is a quality of life and survivorship issue. Every member of a patient’s care team has an ethical obligation to have this very important conversation, particularly with young adult patients. 

The Talk

It’s important to talk to your patients about their fertility before starting treatment, so they can have the best chances at preserving their reproductive health if that’s what they choose to do. If you work with pediatric patients, it’s also important to talk to their parents about the impact of treatment on their child’s fertility.

We’ve put together these talking points to help you get started.

• Your cancer and the treatment plan we’ve put together may affect your ability to have a biological child in the future. Not everyone experiences infertility after cancer treatment, but it is possible and important to consider.
• It’s understandable if fertility isn’t top of mind right now, but it’s important for us to discuss your fertility before you begin treatment.
• Would you like me to refer you to a fertility preservation specialist to discuss your options further?

We also have patient focused resources to help educate them on fertility and their options if they want to grow their family. Please share these resources with your patients when you discuss fertility with them.

I wish my doctor had told me to make a Plan A, B, and C. We were shocked when our first and second egg donors were disqualified from donating. The amount of time and money you lose each time is truly devastating, not to mention your emotions are up and down and your patience is tested beyond belief.

– Jess, Ovarian Cancer Patient

The Fertility Treatment Path

Talking to your patients about fertility before they start treatment is crucial to ensure they have the most options available to them, but the conversation shouldn’t stop once treatment is underway. The impact of cancer and treatment on fertility is ongoing and a patient’s desires can evolve over time, so the conversation should be ongoing, too. 

Things to Consider

There is always more to learn in order to best support your patients. Consider educating yourself on institutional policies, gathering a network of providers and community resources who can help your patients, and examining your personal biases and assumptions about family planning and fertility. There are also training programs for healthcare professionals that you can complete to expand your knowledge and better serve your patients.