Andrea Roane with WUSA9 (CBS) discusses the impact of infertility post cancer. “Only 7 percent of fertile women who go on to conceive successfully following a breast cancer and cancer treatment.” Both women and men diagnosed with cancer prior to building their family, should consider their options to prevent infertility post cancer treatment.
Eric D. Levens, M.D. from Shady Grove Fertility’s Annandale, VA office discusses why cancer and cancer treatment can impact fertility and the options available. “Cancer treatments can effect fertility in many ways, one of the principle ways is through chemotherapy.” Dr. Levens continues, “Chemotherapy diminishes or reducing the ovarian potential, destroys the eggs, and the support cells for the eggs. And as a result, fertility is lost.”
So what can women diagnosed with cancer do to prevent infertility post cancer?
With an increase in awareness on the impacts of cancer treatment on a woman’s fertility, and new field is developing – oncofertility. Oncofertility is the partnership of cancer and infertility treatments between a patient’s oncologist and reproductive endocrinologist. When a patient is diagnosed with cancer there are many questions arise and “the discussion of fertility needs to happen before [cancer] treatment starts,” explains Dr. Levens.
Today, the primary preventative measure to protect a woman’s fertility is through egg freezing. If she is able to freeze her eggs prior to her cancer treatment, she can return to use those eggs through in vitro fertilization – or IVF.
For male fertility preservation, sperm freezing is available through Fairfax Cryobank. Please contact Markos Meleku at 703-968-3969 for more information.
Watch Dr. Eric Levens on WUSA9: Infertility Post Cancer
If you have questions regarding infertility treatment or would like to schedule a new patient appointment, please call our New Patient Center at 877-971-7755 or click to schedule an appointment.
