"A new study indicates that many young adult female cancer survivors do not receive adequate information about their fertility as part of their survivorship care after completing treatment, despite having concerns about their ability to bear children in the future.
Published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the findings point to the need for better resources to support survivors in making informed decisions about their reproductive options after treatment is completed.
Many young female cancer survivors are at risk for early menopause because of their cancer treatment, meaning that they will have a shorter reproductive timeline. If they wish to have children but are not yet ready to start a family, they may be able to undergo fertility preservation with egg or embryo freezing after treatment.
To better understand young adult female cancer survivors' informational needs, their concerns about fertility, and how they view the decision to undergo fertility preservation after treatment, a team led by Catherine Benedict, PhD, of Northwell Health, and Joanne Kelvin, RN, MSN, AOCN, and Bridgette Thom, MS, of Memorial Sloan Kettering, asked survivors to complete a web-based, anonymous survey.
Of 346 participants who were an average age of 30 years old and had completed treatment an average of 5 years earlier, the investigators focused on a subgroup of 179 women with uncertain fertility status who had not previously undergone/attempted fertility preservation, either before or after their cancer treatment, and who either wanted future children or were unsure..."
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