Oncofertility

Know your oncofertility options before starting cancer therapy. Explore solutions such as cryopreservation with fertility specialist, Dr Monique Atkinson.

Learn about Oncofertility

Oncofertility refers to the intersection of two medical specialties – cancer medicine and fertility medicine. Although thoughts of having children may be far from your mind when receiving a cancer diagnosis, it’s important to consider fertility preservation if you know you will one day wish to start or grow your family.

What is Fertility Preservation?

Fertility preservation is the process of saving and storing your gametes – whether eggs or sperm – to give you a better chance of having a healthy pregnancy after cancer therapy.

Some cancer treatments, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy, have the potential to cause infertility as an unavoidable side effect. Cancer or its metastases that have spread to the reproductive organs may require surgery to remove these organs entirely, while radiotherapy and chemotherapy can affect the production and quality of eggs or sperm.

As a fertility specialist, I will be able to discuss your fertility preservation plan in detail. In the context of oncofertility, this typically also involves input from your oncologist. I will arrange collection of your eggs or sperm, or samples of ovarian tissue, and then freeze them for safe storage, known as cryopreservation. This is performed before you begin any cancer therapy that may damage these cells.

Depending on your situation, we can also discuss the option of cryopreservation of embryos. This means mature eggs have been collected and subsequently fertilised with sperm outside the body before being frozen. These embryos are then thawed and implanted in the mother’s body once cancer treatment is no longer a concern.

Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue, performed before you undergo cancer treatment, may be an option if there is not enough time prior to your cancer therapy to freeze eggs. A sample of tissue is surgically removed and frozen. When ready to start trying for a baby, this tissue is transplanted back into your body and stimulated with hormones to begin producing eggs.

As advances in treatment extend the life expectancy and survivor rates of people diagnosed with cancer, fertility preservation is becoming an increasingly important consideration as many of these patients return to normal life and may wish to build their families.

Conceiving Naturally After Cancer Therapy

Depending on your type and location of cancer, and the treatment administered, there may be some potential for you to conceive naturally once your cancer therapy is completed. As your fertility specialist, I may arrange some tests to assess whether your body is still producing healthy eggs or sperm, and if your reproductive organs are intact and undamaged from the cancer treatment.

In consultation with your oncologist, I may advise you to wait for up to five years before trying to conceive, as some types of hormone-sensitive cancers, such as breast cancer, may recur in the presence of elevated pregnancy hormone levels. If you are required to take long-term medications after the initial cancer therapy to minimise the risk of recurrence, these medications may not be appropriate to continue while pregnant, and you will need to discuss this with your oncofertility team. For men, it is also advised to wait some time after your cancer treatment concludes to allow time for any damaged sperm to be replaced in the body. As your fertility specialist, I can discuss with you ways to optimise your chances of natural conception, once your oncologist has advised you it is safe to try.

Dr Monique Atkinson offers consultations in her Bella Vista fertility clinic or via telehealth, and is highly qualified, being accredited with the Certificate of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

A cancer diagnosis can be devastating for singles or couples who still have a desire to build a family. As your fertility specialist and in collaboration with your oncologist, Dr Monique will explore all options for preserving your fertility and maximising your future reproductive potential.