Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients

How to navigate fertility preservation in light of a cancer diagnosis.

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Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients
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Experts you'll learn from

Dr. Bill Ledger

Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of New South Wales
Director of Reproductive Medicine, The Royal Hospital for Women

Dr. Irene Su, MD

Director, Reproductive Survivorship Program
University of California San Diego Health

Michelle Peate, PhD

Program Leader, Psychosocial Health and Wellbeing Research Unit
University of Melbourne

What you'll learn

This course walks you through all you need to know when you're navigating fertility preservation in light of a cancer diagnosis. There are several decisions that must be made quickly and approaches are nuanced depending on your cancer diagnosis and treatment. We break down the data so you can make the best decisions for you—including a high-level overview of what fertility preservation is, whether to freeze eggs, embryos, tissue or sperm, and the risks, costs, and odds of success of each. We know time is of the essence, and we do our best to educate you as swiftly and as rigorously as we know how.

Course Syllabus12 Lessons2h 20m

  1. Lesson 1 (2 min)
    Introduction
    In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Introduction to Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients
  2. Lesson 2 (5 min)
    Fertility Preservation
    In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. What Is Fertility Preservation
    2. Where Does Fertility Preservation Fit In?
    3. What Does Fertility Preservation Accomplish?
    4. What Does the Process Entail?
  3. In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Considerations You Will Face
    2. Consideration 1: Family-Building Goals
    3. Consideration 2: The Risks of Infertility
    4. Consideration 3: Risks to Delivering, Offspring, Cancer Prognosis, and More
    5. Consideration 4: Resources Available
    6. Consideration 5: Will the Process Work
  4. In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. The Risk of Fertility Challenges Regardless of a Cancer Diagnosis
    2. The Risk of Infertility in the Context of a Cancer Diagnosis
    3. The Risk of Carrying or a Delivery After a Cancer Diagnosis
    4. The Risk to Offspring After a Parent’s Cancer Diagnosis
    5. Risks Associated with Fertility Treatment, Egg Freezing, or IVF
    6. Issues Associated With Twin or Triplet Pregnancies
    7. Risk of Birth Defects to Offspring
  5. Lesson 5 (11 min)
    Costs
    In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Overview of Costs
    2. Clinic and Laboratory Costs
    3. Drug Costs
    4. Freezing Eggs or Embryos, ICSI, and PGT-A
    5. Storage Costs
    6. Tax Savings
    7. Working Through Your Employer
  6. In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Factors That Impact Success
    2. Age
    3. Number of Eggs Frozen
    4. Selecting a Clinic
  7. In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Overview of Treatment Approaches
    2. The Basics on Fertility Drugs & Protocols
    3. The Long Agonist & Antagonist Protocols
    4. Progestin Primed Ovarian Stimulation (PPOS)
    5. Random Start Protocol & Shortening the Delay to Start Drugs
    6. Unmedicated Cycles, Tamoxifen, Letrozole, and FSH Dosing for Estrogen-Sensitive Cancers
    7. Blood Clotting Considerations
  8. Lesson 8 (15 min)
    Freezing Eggs or Embryos
    In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Freezing Eggs or Embryos
    2. Visibility: What You Know About Embryos vs Eggs & Why That Matters
    3. Risk of Freezing & Thawing Eggs vs. Embryos
    4. Comparing Flexibility & Legality
    5. Financial Implications
    6. Dissolution: What Do You Do If You Never Use Them?
    7. A Middle Ground?
  9. In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Ovarian Tissue Preservation
  10. Lesson 10 (7 min)
    Considerations for Men
    In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Considerations for Men
  11. Lesson 11 (4 min)
    Success Stories
    In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Success Stories
  12. In this lesson we'll cover:
    1. Mental Health, Cancer, and Fertility