Implementing a Systematic Approach to Meeting Patients' Cancer and Fertility Needs: A Review of the Fertile Hope Centers of Excellence Program

Reinecke, Joyce; Kelvin, Joanne Frankel; Arvey, Sarah R.; Quinn, Gwendolyn P.; Levine, Jennifer; Beck, Lindsay Nohr; Miller, Andy

doi:10.1200/jop.2011.000452

Cited by 44 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 15 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…To identify those sites, the authors focused on LIVESTRONG Fertile Hope Centers of Excellence, which are institutions that have been recognized for implementing fertility processes into clinical care, including provision of patient and health care provider education and referrals to fertility specialists. 26 All participants provided verbal consent for study, which was approved as exempt by the Northwestern University Institutional Review Board.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oncofertility Resources at NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers

Clayman¹,

Harper²,

Quinn³

et al. 2013

J Natl Compr Canc Netw

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) set the standard for providing exemplary patient care. Quality cancer care includes discussions about fertility and referrals to fertility specialists for patients at risk for sterility. This study sought to determine what fertility preservation (FP) resources are available in CCCs and how well those are integrated into patient care. Leaders at each CCC received a letter requesting a short telephone interview with individuals who could provide information about the institution’s FP resources. A semi-structured interview guide was used and responses were audio-recorded. Data were analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted with 30 of the 39 CCCs that see adult patients (77%). The remaining institutions included 4 nonresponders, 3 that referred the interviewers to childhood cancer survivorship clinics, 1 that refused, and 1 that could not identify any FP resources. Participants were primarily affiliated with reproductive endocrinology (n=15) or hematology/oncology divisions (n=10). Institutional policies regarding consistent provision of FP information were rare (n=4), although most sites (n=20) either had some services on-site or had referral programs (n=8). However, only 13 had some experimental services, such as ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Respondents reported barriers to provision of FP, including oncologists’ identification of patients at risk, low referral rates, and perceptions of patient prognosis. Only 8 (27%) sites had staff with time dedicated to FP. CCCs vary widely in implementing FP-recommended practice to their patients. CCCs are positioned to provide exemplary oncofertility care, but most need to better integrate FP information and referral into practice.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oncofertility Resources at NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers

Clayman¹,

Harper²,

Quinn³

et al. 2013

J Natl Compr Canc Netw

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The technical and logistical aspects of fertility preservation in the setting of breast cancer has become somewhat easier in large institutions where dedicated teams exist to make this happen (Reinecke et al 2012 ). This often includes having a nurse or other professional on call to facilitate the pre-treatment counseling with the patient and the prompt referral to the reproductive endocrinology service (Lambertini et al 2013 ).…”

Section: Fertility Preservation: Practice and Researchmentioning

confidence: 98%

Symptoms: Menopause, Infertility, and Sexual Health

Barton

Ganz

2015

Improving Outcomes for Breast Cancer Survivors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

By 2022, the number of survivors is expected to grow to nearly 18 million. Therefore, addressing acute and chronic negative sequelae of a cancer diagnosis and its treatments becomes a health imperative. For women with a history of breast cancer, one of the common goals of treatment and prevention of recurrence is to reduce circulating concentrations of estradiol, especially in women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Hormone deprivation after a diagnosis of breast cancer impacts physiological targets other than in the breast tissue and can result in unwanted side effects, all of which can negatively impact quality of life and function and cause distress. Symptoms that are most strongly linked by evidence to hormone changes after cancer diagnosis and treatment include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep changes, fatigue, mood changes, and diminishing sexual function, including vaginal atrophy (decreased arousal, dryness and dyspareunia), infertility, decreased desire and negative self-image. Weight gain and resulting body image changes are often concomitants of the abrupt onset of treatment-induced menopause. The purpose of this chapter is to briefly review what is known about the advent of premature menopause in women treated for breast cancer, menopausal symptoms that are exacerbated by endocrine treatments for breast cancer, and the associated concerns of hot flashes and related menopausal symptoms, sexual health and fertility issues. We will discuss limitations in the current research and propose strategies that address current limitations in order to move the science forward.

show abstract

“…Building bridges between hematologists and reproductive specialists, and facilitating referrals across departments and institutions, is an essential step; educating and empowering patients is another. [67][68][69] The most important step is additional research to support evidence-based, high-quality decisions that will help our patients transition to survivors with full and satisfying lives.…”

Section: Moving Forwardmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fertility issues in patients with hematologic malignancies

Loren

2015

Hematology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An essential component of a cancer patient's comprehensive care is addressing potential threats to his or her reproductive health. Providers should discuss the risk of infertility with newly diagnosed patients and offer the chance to consult with a reproductive specialist as early as possible. Standard fertility preservation options include embryo or oocyte cryopreservation for women and sperm banking for men; all options for pre-pubertal children are experimental. Patients with hematologic malignancies are a distinct population in whom standard options may present special challenges, and alternative management strategies are being explored. Unique approaches in hematologic malignancy patients include experimental techniques, such as hormonal therapy, referrals to reproductive specialists after cancer treatment, or discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in appropriate chronic myelogenous leukemia patients. Importantly, expedited communication between hematologists and reproductive specialists may greatly enhance the quality of care for these patients. Facilitation of referrals will both improve the quality-of-life and expand the prospect of parenthood in survivors. There are ample opportunities to advance the field of oncofertility through additional research, especially in hematologic malignancy patients.

show abstract

Implementing a Systematic Approach to Meeting Patients' Cancer and Fertility Needs: A Review of the Fertile Hope Centers of Excellence Program

Cited by 44 publications

References 15 publications

Oncofertility Resources at NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers

Oncofertility Resources at NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers

Symptoms: Menopause, Infertility, and Sexual Health

Fertility issues in patients with hematologic malignancies

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About