CANCER & FERTILITY

spongebob

I often see postings related to fertility so I thought I'd share this with those who may be among our group with questions. Sorry, guys, it's really geared toward women's questions about fertility. In our case, the simple answer is to preserve swimmers before starting a chemo or radiation regime. Your onc can help you with that. Well... by help, I mean provide you with resources to help you ... I mean... crap, you KNOW what I mean! Places where you can store them! (jeez... you guys have been hanging out with tkd3 too much and it's effected your mind!)

Anyway:

Cancer Treatment and Fertility in Women
by Jennifer Pitzi Hellwig


Being diagnosed with cancer is a life-altering event. One of the first questions people diagnosed with cancer may ask is, “Will I live?” For many people, the answer to that question is “yes,” thanks to advances in the detection and treatment of several cancers. But undergoing treatment can bring with it a whole host of new questions, including, for many people, “Will I still be able to have children?”

Here’s a look at how a cancer diagnosis may affect a woman’s fertility and what women with cancer can do if they want to have children.

How Cancer Treatment Can Affect Fertility
There are a variety of ways in which cancer treatment can affect fertility:

Surgery--Surgical removal of cancerous lesions in the areas of the cervix, ovaries, endometrium, and uterus may result in infertility. Factors such as the stage and spread of the cancer often dictate how extensive the surgery is, and, therefore, how much of an impact it may have on fertility.
Radiation--In some cases, cancerous lesions on reproductive organs, such as the ovaries, are not surgically removed, but rather treated with direct radiation. In addition to killing the cancer cells, radiation may also damage healthy cells, thereby disrupting the function of the organs and possibly causing infertility.
Chemotherapy--Unlike radiation, which is generally targeted directly to the area of the body with cancer, chemotherapy travels throughout the body in the bloodstream to kill cancer cells. As a result, it can also damage the reproductive system (even if the cancer is not present in the reproductive organs). Risk will vary based on several factors, including the type and dose of chemotherapy drug being administered.

Options for Preserving Fertility
According to Fertile Hope, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to be a comprehensive fertility preservation resource for patients whose medical treatments present the risk of infertility,” there are some procedures being studied for their ability to preserve fertility in women with cancer. Some are still experimental and their feasibility and appropriateness will vary from patient to patient. Talk to your doctor to see if any of these procedures may be an option for you.

Oophoropexy--This involves moving one or both ovaries away from the radiation field prior to treatment to minimize radiation exposure and damage to the ovaries. Sometimes the ovaries can be transposed behind the uterus or even onto the women’s thighs.
Radical Trachelectomy--This procedure, used for patients with early stage cervical cancer, involves removal of the cervix while preserving the uterus. The problem here is that the cervix is the lowest portion of the uterus and removal of this portion of the uterus will likely result in a difficult pregnancy.
Freezing of Embryos--This procedure involves the removal of eggs, which are then fertilized via in vitro fertilization and then frozen for future implantation.
Freezing of Unfertilized Eggs--This procedure involves administering hormones to foster the development of follicles, after which unfertilized eggs are removed and frozen for future use.
Freezing of Ovarian Tissue--This procedure involves removing an ovary and freezing small pieces of the ovarian tissue as a way to preserve eggs.
Hormonal Treatment--This involves taking hormones in the form of birth control pills or gonadotropin-releasing hormone along with chemotherapy, which may reduce the damage the chemotherapy does to the reproductive system.

Deciding What’s Best for You
When facing cancer--or any serious illness for that matter--it’s important to remember that each person’s situation is unique. Not all options for preserving fertility may be appropriate or feasible in all women.

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and you’re concerned about your fertility, talk to your doctor and discuss in detail all the potential risks and benefits of certain treatments, including, but not limited to, the treatment’s potential effects on your fertility. Your doctor may be able to offer you ways of possibly preserving your fertility during your treatment. You may also want to ask for a referral to a social worker or other family planning specialist who can help you learn about other parenthood options as well, such as adoption.

Fortunately, many cancer caregivers recognize that successfully treating cancer means not only longer life, but quality of life as well. And for many cancer patients, the potential for parenthood is vital to their quality of life.

RESOURCES:

American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org

American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
http://www.acog.org

Fertile Hope
www.fertilehope.org

National Cancer Institute
http://www.nci.nih.gov

lfondots63

Thanks SpongeBob,

This is very informative and I don't need it ( I have 4 kids that I love dearly) but others on the board have asked about this. Even on the chats. I wonder if Jose can post this somewhere for all the CSN people to look at if needed. Something to ask maybe.

Lisa

tkd3g

Hmmmm, maybe YOU have been hanging out with me too long!!

NEVER!!

Lots of informative stuff. Thanks George.

Personally, It wasn't a big issue. I had my 3 children, and was 43 at the time.

Whether it was the surgery,chemo or radiation, I don't know, but I went into instant menopause. Not a place I wanted to be. 2 years later and I am still into it big time with flashes and a whole host of nasty side effects.

BUT, I'm still here!!!

Sponger, I am so glad to see you getting back in touch with your feminine side. It's quite an attractive trait.

Barb:aka tkd3g: aka Elaine: aka pool girl

spongebob

tkd3g said:

Hmmmm, maybe YOU have been hanging out with me too long!!

NEVER!!

Lots of informative stuff. Thanks George.

Personally, It wasn't a big issue. I had my 3 children, and was 43 at the time.

Whether it was the surgery,chemo or radiation, I don't know, but I went into instant menopause. Not a place I wanted to be. 2 years later and I am still into it big time with flashes and a whole host of nasty side effects.

BUT, I'm still here!!!

Sponger, I am so glad to see you getting back in touch with your feminine side. It's quite an attractive trait.

Barb:aka tkd3g: aka Elaine: aka pool girl

Admit it, Elaine - you only get those hot flashes when I'm around!

- Speedo Boy

Betsydoglover

spongebob said:

Admit it, Elaine - you only get those hot flashes when I'm around!

- Speedo Boy

You wish, Bob!

Gotta say those flashes are no fun - I'm sure Barb will agree - but sorry, they also most likely aren't related to your presence!

(Even if you are the Speedo Boy!)

Betsy

usakat

Hot flashes? I should hang out here more often....

Thanks for the info SpongeBob. This was actually something I struggled with before I started chemo. It's a very real issue for not just young women, but men too who haven't had children before starting treatment. I contacted a fertility clinic about my options and they recommended freezing embryos. I may be blond, but I do know that meant I would need a man to complete the embryonic equation. It's tough to get a decent date in this town so pandering for a kid-worthy sample was out of the question. I was bummed - I grieved, I cried, I realized that I'm 42 and just diagnosed with a probable HNPCC cancer (was confirmed this week) and decided that early retirement is a great thing.

Lisa is right, this is great info to post somewhere...thanks SpongeBob.

tkd3g

Betsydoglover said:

You wish, Bob!

Gotta say those flashes are no fun - I'm sure Barb will agree - but sorry, they also most likely aren't related to your presence!

(Even if you are the Speedo Boy!)

Betsy

Aren't we just full of ourselves?

Oh, the vapors! And soon it will be time to turn the page from MR JULY to August. What will I do?

KathiM

Here's from the lady that, according to her beau who's a fertility doc, before starting treatment already had 'eggs that were dust'. I asked him about freezing unfertilized eggs...not a big success...

But, I am now officially 51 years young as of midnight tonight, and don't have any parts left to do that sort of thing...sigh....

Thanks for the info, dad!!!! You are sooooo handsome when you blush!

Hugs, kathi

spongebob

tkd3g said:

Aren't we just full of ourselves?

Oh, the vapors! And soon it will be time to turn the page from MR JULY to August. What will I do?

More like what you WON'T do! (flash!!)

Betsy just doesn't understand our relationship... I know it's all about me!!

- SB

tkd3g

spongebob said:

More like what you WON'T do! (flash!!)

Betsy just doesn't understand our relationship... I know it's all about me!!

- SB

You naughty naughty sailor.

Now that we are off the main page, maybe we will be hidden from snooping eyes.

But that just takes all the fun out of it, doesn't it?

now...Why does Kathi call you "dad". Is that some pet name that refers to some sordid sick relationship that you have?

I best not catch you wif some ho...you my b*tch!!

spongebob

tkd3g said:

You naughty naughty sailor.

Now that we are off the main page, maybe we will be hidden from snooping eyes.

But that just takes all the fun out of it, doesn't it?

now...Why does Kathi call you "dad". Is that some pet name that refers to some sordid sick relationship that you have?

I best not catch you wif some ho...you my b*tch!!

You so bad! I knew you'd be jealous, but hey... what can I say? When you a playa, you a playa!

Don't mean I love you any less... You my main be-yatch

tkd3g

spongebob said:

You so bad! I knew you'd be jealous, but hey... what can I say? When you a playa, you a playa!

Don't mean I love you any less... You my main be-yatch

Playa?! You bet stop that runnin round, yestaday!

I'm not hangin wif no playa.

It's me or her!



We are going to get in trouble!!!

Elaine

Unknown

lfondots63 said:

Thanks SpongeBob,

This is very informative and I don't need it ( I have 4 kids that I love dearly) but others on the board have asked about this. Even on the chats. I wonder if Jose can post this somewhere for all the CSN people to look at if needed. Something to ask maybe.

Lisa

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