Cancer Centers Ignoring Fertility of Young Patients

(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Top cancer treatment centers aren’t doing enough to help patients preserve their fertility during their treatments, according to new research from Northwestern University.

Researchers studied policies at the 39 National Cancer Institute-designated total cancer treatment centers across the country, and found most of these centers do not have policies in place to identify and warn patients about potential fertility loss. The past 40 years have seen an increase in cancer survival rates for young patients, and many may want children after their treatment.

"When you think about having children after cancer, that's a very strong way to think about surviving and thriving after cancer," lead study author Marla Clayman was quoted as saying. "It can be shocking for patients to find out their fertility was affected when there were potentially options that exist that were not offered to them.”

For more information, go to: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2013/12/saving-fertility-not-priority-at-most-cancer-centers.html

SOURCE: Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, December 2013