There a few things that pediatric patients can do to protect their fertility before the the toxic brew of treatment for their cancer.  This is where it becomes important to give some hope to these patients.  It is true that some damage will be caused by the toxicity of the treatment, but there is hope if some measures are taken.  They will calm nerves and squash anxiety.  Fertility issues matter to many patients and their family members.  This is why it is advisable to discuss these issues at a time before the treatment commences or when there is more receptivity.  Just think about it.  Just put yourself in the place of these young pediatric patients who have been given some potentially fatal news.  All they were before that ceased to make sense.  It is a total body shock.

 

What can they do?  What should they discuss with their pediatric oncologists?

 

There is no doubt fertility centers, hospitals and clinics may engage in a few practices aiming at alleviating the anxiety of their patients.  Education is the primary tool.  That is why many healthcare insiders are rejoicing over the promotions by Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.  The hospital quickly becomes one of the first in the country to promote fertility education for pediatric cancer patients.  Life is not over with a diagnosis of cancer.  Lucile Packard Children's Hospital's program starts showing parents and patients how to maximize their chance of having children after the treatment is over.  Nobody should take chances when it comes to this.  We must say that many patients do their best to provide some information, but the timing may be the problem.  For the patients, they care about treating the cancer.  They do not usually think about fertility issues which may result from the drugs.  After signing all the consent forms, they will leave the fertility clinics overloaded with data while going over the meaning of their new diagnosis.  Patients undergoing treatment must realize they face infertility risks.  They also must know that they have options they can consider before and after the treatment.

 

Where to turn to get info on what to do before and after cancer treatment?

 

Most parents and patients are turning to their oncologists and others are going to a national nonprofit organization called Fertile Hope.  Fertile Hope provides information to cancer patients.  There is life after cancer when a girl knows that she can freeze her eggs.  A young woman can have success and access to a cryobank center that most hospitals may have.  Lucile Packard has a campus one at stanford.  Pediatric oncology doctors are familiar with the consequences of treatment.  They will talk to you about early menopause, premature ovarian failure, decreases in testoterone production, decreased or damaged sperm, erectile dysfunction or impotence.  They will tell you about lists of physical ailments that can occur long after the cancer treatment is completed.  Boys can place their sperm in a bank if they have already reached puberty.  For girls, embryo freezing is the easiest way to go in order to preserve fertility.  But how many young women already have sperm donors?  They may be uneasy with the use of a sperm bank too.  Egg freezing may the easiest alternative for many young women seeking to reproduce later on.  For sure, reproductive techniques will continue to make headlines.  More discoveries will allow women to use less intrusive methods of preserving fertility after the cancer scare.