Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Apr;54(4):203-7.

Pilot survey of oncologists regarding treatment-related infertility and fertility preservation in female cancer patients

Eric J Forman  1 , Carey K Anders, Millie A Behera
Affiliations

Pilot survey of oncologists regarding treatment-related infertility and fertility preservation in female cancer patients

Eric J Forman et al. J Reprod Med. 2009 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To conduct a quantitative survey that focuses on oncologists' practice patterns and attitudes surrounding treatment-related infertility and fertility preservation, specifically among women of reproductive age.

Study design: A 19-item survey was emailed to medical, pediatric, radiation and surgical oncologists at Duke University. Descriptive statistics were used.

Results: Most oncologists (61%) who responded always or usually discuss the impact treatment will have on fertility. Nearly half (45%) never refer women to reproductive specialists. Respondents who attended an educational session on fertility preservation were more likely to consider a patient's desire for fertility when planning her treatment than those who did not attend (45% vs. 33%). More than half (55%) of attendees were willing to consider a less aggressive regimen to preserve fertility, compared with 29% of those who did not attend.

Conclusion: While most oncologists recognize the importance of discussing infertility risks, many do not discuss fertility preservation routinely. Reasons for this discrepancy included poor prognosis and emergent need to start therapy. Increasing awareness through educational events may influence current practice patterns and increase collaboration between reproductive endocrinologists and oncologists.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Survey question: How often do you refer patients to a reproductive endocrinologist or an OB/GYN who specializes in fertility?
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Marhhom E, Cohen I. Fertility preservation options for women with malignancies. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2007;62:58–72. - PubMed
    1. Lee SJ, Schover LR, Partridge AH, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology recommendations on fertility preservation in cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24:2917–2931. - PubMed
    1. Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine: Fertility preservation and reproduction in cancer patients. Fertil Steril. 2005;83:1622–1628. - PubMed
    1. Schover LR, Brey K, Lichtin A, et al. Oncologists' attitudes and practices regarding banking sperm before cancer treatment. J Clin Oncol. 2002;20:1890–1897. - PubMed
    1. Zapzalka DM, Redmon JB, Pryor JL. A survey of oncologists regarding sperm cryopreservation and assisted reproductive techniques for male cancer patients. Cancer. 1999;86:1812–1817. - PubMed

Substances

LinkOut - more resources