Podcasts about oncofertility

On this episode of The Wholesome Fertility Podcast, I am joined by Dr. Nirali Jain (eggspert_md), a board-certified OB/GYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Reproductive Medical Associates (RMA). Dr. Jain shares her expert insights on fertility preservation for individuals undergoing cancer treatment, a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of reproductive care. We explore what options are available for fertility preservation, including egg and sperm freezing, and why it's so important to initiate these discussions before starting chemotherapy or radiation. Dr. Jain also explains the difference between Letrozole and Clomid, the impact of estrogen-sensitive cancers on IVF treatments, and innovative approaches like random-start cycles and DuoStim protocols. Whether you're facing a cancer diagnosis or simply thinking proactively about your reproductive future, this conversation is filled with knowledge and reassurance. Key Takeaways: Why it's essential to discuss fertility before starting cancer treatment. The role of Letrozole in estrogen-sensitive cancers and fertility preservation. Differences between Letrozole and Clomid, and why Letrozole is often preferred. How new protocols like DuoStim and random-start cycles are improving outcomes. Why fertility preservation is important even for those without a cancer diagnosis. Guest Bio: Dr. Nirali Jain (@eggspert_md) is a board-certified OB/GYN and fertility specialist at Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA) in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. She earned both her undergraduate degree in neurobiology (with a minor in dance!) and her medical degree from Northwestern University, before completing her residency at Weill Cornell/NYP, where she served as co-Chief Resident, and her fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at NYU Langone. Deeply passionate about women's health and fertility preservation, Dr. Jain blends the latest research and cutting-edge treatments with compassionate, patient-centered care. Her interests include third-party reproduction and oncofertility, and she is especially passionate about supporting patients navigating fertility preservation through a cancer diagnosis. Outside of the clinic, Dr. Jain is a trained dancer, a dedicated global traveler, and an adventurer working toward hiking all seven continents with her husband. Her diverse experiences, from international medical rotations to personal connections with friends and family navigating infertility, have shaped her into a warm, resourceful, and determined advocate for her patients. Links and Resources: Visit RMA websiteFollow Dr. Nirali Jain on Instagram For more information about Michelle, visit www.michelleoravitz.com To learn more about ancient wisdom and fertility, you can get Michelle's book at: https://www.michelleoravitz.com/thewayoffertility The Wholesome Fertility facebook group is where you can find free resources and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/ Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus/ Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health or fertility care. --  Transcript:   # TWF-Jain-Nirali (Video) ​[00:00:00]  **Michelle Oravitz:** Welcome to the podcast Jain.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Thanks so much for having me **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, so. **Michelle Oravitz:** I'm very excited to talk about this topic, which, um, actually you don't really hear a lot of people talking about, which is how to preserve your fertility if you're going through a cancer diagnosis and if you have to go through treatments. 'cause obviously that can impact a lot on fertility. **Michelle Oravitz:** I have, um, seen actually like a colleague of mine go through. And she also preserved her fertility and, and now she has a baby boy. so it's really nice. **Michelle Oravitz:** to **riverside_nirali_jain_raw-video-cfr_michelle_oravitz's _0181:** so nice. **Michelle Oravitz:** So I'd love for you first to introduce yourself and kind Of give us a background on how you got into this work. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Of course. Um, so I am Dr. Narly Jane. I am, um, an OB GYN by training, and then I did an additional, after completing four years of residency in OB GYN and getting board certified in that, I did an additional training in reproductive endocrinology and [00:01:00] infertility or otherwise known as REI. So now I'm a fertility specialist. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, I trained at Northwestern in Chicago, so I went to undergrad and medical school there. And then, um, home has always been New Jersey for me, so I moved back out east to New Jersey. Um, I did all my training actually in New York City at Cornell for residency and NYU for fellowship. Um, and then moved to the suburbs. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, and now I'm a fertility specialist in, in Basking Ridge at Reproductive Medical Associates.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Very impressive background. That's awesome.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** I'd love to hear just really. About what your process is. If a person has been diagnosed with cancer, like what is the process? What are some of the things that you address if they are trying to preserve fertility, and what are some of the concerns going  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** yeah, yeah. All great questions. So, you know, there's a lot of us, uh, the Reis. Are a very small, [00:02:00] there's a very small number of us. So in terms of specializing in fertility preservation, technically we all are certified to treat patients with cancer and kind of move them through fertility preservation before starting chemotherapy. **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, luckily we've been working closely with oncologists in the past several years just to establish some type of streamlined system because having a diagnosis of cancer and hearing all that information. Especially when you're young is so hard. So I think that's, that's where my interest started in terms of being able to speak to and counsel cancer patients. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I think it is a very specific niche that you really have to be comfortable with in our field. Um, I. So I'll kind of walk you through, you know, what it, what does it look like, right? Um, you go into your oncologist's office suspecting that you have this, this lump. I'll take breast cancer, for example. It could really be any kind of cancer. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, but breast cancer in a reproductive age patient or someone that's in those years where you're starting [00:03:00] to think about building a family, planning a family, um, or if you have kids at home, that's usually the type of patient that we see come in with a breast cancer diagnosis. So. Kinda just taking that, for example, um, the minute that you're diagnosed, it's really your oncologist's responsibility to counsel you on what treatment options are going to be offered to you. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** And then based off of the treatment options, it's important to know how that affects your reproduction. So how does it affect your ovaries in the short term, in the long term, um, in any way possible. So. Once a patient is initially referred from their oncologist to myself or any other fertility specialist, they come into my office and we just have a 30 minute conversation really talking about family planning goals. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Any kids that they've had in the past either naturally conceived or through um, IVF, and then we talk about where they're at in their relationship. Are they married, are they not? Are they with a partner, [00:04:00] a male partner, a female partner, whatever it might be. It's important to know the social standpoint, um, especially in this sensitive phase of life. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So patient patients usually spend anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Um, just kind of talking through where they're at, how they're feeling, what their ultimate childbearing goals are. And then from there we do an ultrasound and that's when I'm really able to see, you know, the, the reproductive status. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So what do the ovaries look like? What does the uterus look like? Is there something that I need to be concerned about from a baseline GYN standpoint? Um, and all of those conversations are happening in real time. So. I think one of the things is patients come in and they're like, I'm already so overwhelmed with all this information from my oncologist, and now my fertility specialist is throwing all this information at me. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Luckily, the way I like to frame it is you come in and you just let go. Like you let us do the work because in the background we're the ones talking to your oncologist. We're the [00:05:00] ones giving that feedback and creating a timeline with your oncologist. Um, and really I think just getting in the door is the hardest part. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So once patients are here to see us, we go through the whole workup. We do anything that we would do for a normal patient that came in for fertility preservation. And then based off of where they're at in their journey, we talk about what makes sense for them, whether that means freezing embryos, freezing eggs, they're very similar in terms of the, the few weeks leading up to the egg retrievals. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So I have that whole conversation just at the initial visit. And then from there we talk about the timeline behind the scenes and make sure that it works with their lives before moving forward. **Michelle Oravitz:** So for people listening to this, why, and this might be an obvious question, but to some it might not be,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Mm-hmm. **Michelle Oravitz:** why would somebody want to preserve. eggs or sperm. 'cause I've had actually some couples  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yep. **Michelle Oravitz:** come to me where the husband preserved the sperm and they had to go through IVF just because he was going [00:06:00] through cancer treatments. So he had to preserve the sperm ahead of time.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Mm-hmm. **Michelle Oravitz:** people need to consider doing that before doing cancer treatments?  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So there are certain cancer treatments that do affect the ovaries and the sperm health, and you know, for men and women, it affects your reproductive organs. In a similar way, um, depending on the type of chemotherapeutic agent, there are some that are more dangerous in terms of, um, being toxic to your ovaries or toxic to your sperm. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** And those are the instances where we are really thinking about what's the long-term impact because there's medications that oncologists do give patients, and our oncologists are amazing, the ones that we work with, Memorial Sloan Kettering from Reproductive Medical Associates through RMA, um, and. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** They're just so good at what they do and are so well-trained, so they know in the back of their mind, is this going to impact your ovaries or your sperm health or not? Um, and I [00:07:00] think that any chemotherapy, you know, your ovaries are these, these small organs that are constantly turning over follicles every month. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So every month we're losing those eggs, and if they don't become. If an egg isn't ovulated, it doesn't become a baby, it's just gonna die off. So I counsel even patients that don't have cancer, I counsel them on fertility preservation as young as possible. You know, between the ages of 28 and 35, that's like the best time to preserve your fertility. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So in cancer patients, there's an extra level added to that where even if they are a little bit younger, a little bit older. Your eggs are not gonna be the same quality. There's gonna be higher level of chromosomal errors, more DNA breakage, um, and, and bigger issues that lead to issues with conceiving naturally afterwards. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So I think that it's important to consider how that chemotherapy is going to affect them or how surgery would affect them if it was, for example, a GYN cancer where [00:08:00] we're removing a whole ovary, you know, what, what do we have to do to preserve your fertility in that case? And those are important conversations to have. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. for sure. I know that a lot of people are also concerned, you know, with going through the IVF process, you're taking in a lot of estrogen, a lot of hormones, and many cancers are actually estrogen sensitive. So I wanted to talk to you about that. 'cause I know that the data shows that it's. It's been fine, which some people might find surprising, but I wanted you to address that and just kind of **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** from your perspective.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** That's so interesting that you asked that question because I actually, my whole I I graduated fellowship last year and my entire, like passion project in fellowship was looking at one of the drugs that we use to suppress the estrogen levels specifically in cancer patients. Um, and I had presented this at a few of our reproductive meetings. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, A SRM is one of our annual meetings where all of the reiss get together. A lot of male fertility [00:09:00] specialists come and we kinda just talk about. Specific things and fertility preservation for cancer patients is, has been an ongoing topic of interest for all of us. Um, and it's important to know that there are different medications that we can offer. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Letrozole is the one that I, um, have a particular love for and I, uh, you know, I use all the time for my patients, um, for different reasons, but it suppresses the exposure that your body has to estrogen. And there's mixed data, um, out there in terms of, you know, does Letrozole suppression actually impact, you know, does it help or. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Or does it have no impact on your future risk of cancer after treatment? Um, and that honestly is still up for debate. But what we do know is that there's no increased risk of cancer recurrence in patients that have undergone fertility preservation with or without Letrozole. Um, Letrozole is one of those things that we can give, and the way it works is basically. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** It masks that [00:10:00] conversion. It, it doesn't allow for conversion from those androgens in the male hormones over to estrogen. Um, and so your body doesn't really see that estrogen exposure. It stays nice and low throughout your cycle, and it does help with actually ovarian maturation and getting mature eggs harvested and, um, helps a little bit with, with quality too. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So I think that it's really nice in terms of having that available to us, but know that. It's not, it's not essential that you have it, really, the data showing plus minus. Um, but there are certain things that we can do to protect the ovaries, protect your exposure to estrogen. Um, and so that shouldn't be top of mind of concern when we're going through fertility preservation, even with an estrogen sensitive cancer. **Michelle Oravitz:** Actually, so, uh, on a different topic, kind of going back to that, so Letrozole versus Clomid, I, it's like a, the questions I personally feel just based on what I've heard and like my own research that Letrozole would be kind of like the more. [00:11:00] Um, the, it's, it's a little better, but I know that it really depends on the person as well.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** they might do better with Clom, but I'd love to hear your perspective and kind of pick your brain on this.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** totally. You're choosing all the, all the right questions because these are all of my, my specific interests and niches. So  **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Letrozole is basically, you know, we use Letrozole and Clomid in. Patients that don't have cancer and patients that come in for an intrauterine insemination, that's kind of the most common scenario where we're thinking about, you know, which medication is better? **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Letrozole or Clomid and Clomid used to be the, the most common medication that we use, we dose patients, you know, have 50 milligrams of Clomid, give them five days of the medication. It's an oral pill. Feels really easy and. The way it works is really, it recruits more than one follicle, so it really helps with the release of, um, more than one follicle growing more than one follicle in the ovary. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, but it has a little bit [00:12:00] higher of a risk of twins because that's exactly what it's good at. Um, Clomid, not so much in the cancer. In the cancer front, it's not really used there because it's considered, from a scientific perspective, it's considered like a selective estrogen receptor modulator. So it doesn't necessarily suppress your estrogen levels in the same way that Letrozole does versus. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Letrozole is an aromatase inhibitor, so it really blocks the chemical conversion of one drug or one hormone to the other hormone. Um, the reason we love Letrozole so much, and I don't mean to like gush over Letrozole, but um, it's a mono follicular agent, so it works really well at recruiting one follicle  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** you know, every OB-GYN's nightmare in a way is having multiples when you didn't intend on having multiples at all. **Michelle Oravitz:** so  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um. **Michelle Oravitz:** were saying that, um, there's more of a chance of twins, it's Clomid, not letrozole.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yes, there's a higher chance with Clomid versus Letrozole. And I mean, don't get me wrong, there's a chance of twins with [00:13:00] any type of assisted reproductive technology. Even when we're doing single embryo transfers, there's a chance that it's gonna split. So, um, the chance is always there just like it is in the natural world. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** But we know for a fact that. CLO is really good at recruiting many follicles. It's good for certain patients that don't respond well to Letrozole. Um, but Letrozole is kind of our, our go-to drug these days just because of all the benefits that we've seen.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Awesome.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** These are all fun things to ask because I, I love talking to our eis 'cause there's so much information that I'm always  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** totally. **Michelle Oravitz:** learn a lot from my patients in my own research, but it's really cool. Picking your guys' brains. So another question I have, and I have actually talked to Dr. Andrea Elli, he's been on,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Mm-hmm. **Michelle Oravitz:** and he does a lot of endometriosis and, and immune related work as well,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** so. I'd love to know just from your perspective. One thing that I do know from, based on what I've heard is that the, [00:14:00] guess like you were just saying, that breast cancer or estrogen sensitive breast cancer doesn't seem to be affected by IVF cycles, however, and endometriosis lesions do get affected.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** that's a great question. So, you know, every, there are so many complex G mind diagnoses that the, that our patients come in with. Um, and endometriosis is a big one because there is clear data that endometriosis is linked to infertility. So we think about, you know, when a patient comes in with endometriosis, we really do think about the different treatment options and what are the short-term and long-term impacts of the hormones that we're giving 'em. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, these days, again, kind of going back to Letrozole, we, letrozole is something that I give all of my endometriosis patients because it helps suppress their estrogen because we know.  **Michelle Oravitz:** interesting.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** is very responsive to estrogen and leads to this dysfunctional regulation of all the endometrial tissue that can really flare in a, [00:15:00] in a cycle, or shortly after a cycle. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I. So we really, for endometriosis patients, the, the best treatment is being on birth control because we don't see that hormonal fluctuation. The up and down of the estrogen and the progesterone, that's what leads to those flares. Um, so I really, I watch patients closely after their cycles too, because you definitely can have an endometriosis flare and we say the best treatment for endometriosis is pregnancy, right? **Dr. Nirali Jain:** That's when you're suppressed, that's when you're at your lowest. Um, and patients, my endo patients feel so good in pregnancy because they have. Hormones that are nice in that baseline, they're not getting periods of course. Um, and that's truly, truly the best treatment.  **Michelle Oravitz:** That's interesting.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** But it is important to consider when you're going through infertility treatments. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** How does my endometriosis affect the short and long-term effects of the fertility medications? And really not to, not to say that they're bad in any way. I think a lot of endometriosis patients go through IVF and have success and do really, really well, and that's kind of the push that they need. [00:16:00] Um, but it's important to be mindful of the bigger picture here. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** It's not just, you're not just a number of. A patient with endo coming in, getting the same protocol. It's really individualized to the extent of your lesions, what symptoms you're having, what grade of endometriosis, where your lesions are. So we're the RAs are thinking about everything before we actually start your protocol. **Michelle Oravitz:** It's crazy how in depth it is, and it's, it, there's just so, it's so multifaceted,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah,  **Michelle Oravitz:** when it's females  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** totally. **Michelle Oravitz:** are a little, I mean, they can, you know, there, there's definitely a number of things, but it's not as complicated and interconnected  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Exactly. Exactly. That's so true. **Michelle Oravitz:** And so one question I actually have, this is kind of really off topic, but something that I was curious about. **Michelle Oravitz:** 'cause I heard about a while  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** a, a type of cancer treatment that was used. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but for some reason it actually caused follicles to grow, [00:17:00] or to multiply. And they were **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Interesting. **Michelle Oravitz:** this definitely. Puts, um, the whole idea of like a woman being born with all the follicles she'll ever have on its head, I thought that was really Interesting. **Michelle Oravitz:** Now I learned a little bit about it. I don't think it really went further than that,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Mm-hmm. **Michelle Oravitz:** one of those things that they're like, Hmm, this is interesting. I don't know, it was kind of a random side effect of this chemo drug. I dunno if it was a chemo drug or a cancer drug.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah.  **Michelle Oravitz:** ever heard of that. **Michelle Oravitz:** So I was just **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I haven't, I mean, that's interesting. I feel like I'd have to look into that because that would be definitely a point of interest for a lot of Reis. But it kind of does go back to the point of, you know, women are really born with all the eggs we're ever gonna have. So it's about a million, and then it just goes down from there. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** And the, by the time you start having periods, I like to kind of show my patients a chart, but you have a couple hundred thousand eggs and you ovulate one egg a month. That's, you know. Able to [00:18:00] progress into a fertilized egg and then into a, an embryo into a baby, um, if that's your goal. But otherwise, patients that are having periods and not trying to actually get pregnant, we're losing hundreds of eggs a month. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** It's important to kind of think about that decline, and it's important to know that that rate can be faster in patients with cancer, patients with low ovarian reserve. And sometimes when you have the two compounded, that's when a fertility specialist is definitely, you know, in the queue to, to have a discussion with you in terms of what that means and how you can reach your family building goals despite being faced with that, with that challenge. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** I mean, 'cause we know oxidative stress is one of the things that can cause, uh,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** quality eggs, but it's also can cause cancer. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** um, similar, you know, like things that really deplete the body could definitely impact. Um, and then what are your thoughts? I know I'm asking you all kinds of random questions, **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I love it. **Michelle Oravitz:** are your thoughts about doing low simulation in certain [00:19:00] circumstances versus high stem? **Michelle Oravitz:** Sometimes people don't respond as well to higher stems.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, that's a great point. I think that it kind of all goes back to creating an individualized protocol. If. A patient's going to a practice and basically just getting a protocol saying, this is our standard. We start with our standard of, you know, I, I think about the standard, which is 300 of the FSH or that pen that you dial up, and then 150 units of that powder vial. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** And we have patients mixing powders all the time, and that's kind of our blanket protocol that we give patients. But that's not really what's happening behind the scenes. And if you're given a protocol that's, and being told, you know, this is kind of what we give to everyone, it's probably not the right fit for you. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, I  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, there are certain patients that respond to a much lower dose and do really, really well, and then some patients that need a much higher dose. Um, and I think it's, that's kind of like the fun part of being an REI of being able to individualize the [00:20:00] protocol to the patient. Um, and I know for a fact there are so many, luckily, you know, we have so many leaders in REI that have been. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Have dedicated their entire careers to researching these different protocols and how they can help different patients. Um, patients with lower a MH, you know, might benefit from a duo stim protocol, for example. That's kind of the first one that comes to mind, but a protocol where we're using those follicles from the second half of a cycle. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I would've never thought that those were the follicles that  **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** would be better than the first half of the cycle,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Wait,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** but, **Michelle Oravitz:** that. Explain that. Um, because I think that that's kind of a unique  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** mm-hmm.  **Michelle Oravitz:** that I haven't heard of.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, so there's this new day. It's still kind of developing, but um, kind of going back to, you know, what's an individualized protocol? Duo STEM is one of the newer protocols that we've started using. I, I've used it once or twice in patients. Um, but it goes back to the research that shows that you might actually have two different periods of time in a menstrual cycle where you could potentially recruit [00:21:00] follicles. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** You could have a follicular phase where there's a certain cohort of follicles recruited, and then you have a follicle that forms creates a corpus glut.  **Michelle Oravitz:** um, protocols  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yep. And then you basically go through the follicular protocol and then a few days after a retrieval, instead of waiting for a new follicular cohort or follicular recruitment from the first half of your menstrual cycle, you actually use the luteal phase and you recruit those follicles that would've actually died off or have been prematurely recruited in a prior cycle. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So **Michelle Oravitz:** that's So  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** you just do a similar, I guess, um, medicine,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** go right back into it.  **Michelle Oravitz:** do the same exact thing, but right after ovulation.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Fascinating. That's really interesting.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah,  **Michelle Oravitz:** has been your experience with that?  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I think it's, honestly, it's mixed. Um, so far, you know, our data from fertility and sterility and A SRM, it, it shows support for these DUO STEM [00:22:00] protocols, saying that if patients don't have that great quality of eggs or if they have a very low number, maybe they'd benefit from starting the meds earlier and recruiting follicles. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** A little bit earlier. Um, so we've seen positive results so far. A lot of work to be done in terms of really understanding it. Um, and of course, as a new attending, I have a lot more experience to kind of build on. Um, but I, I have seen success from it. **Michelle Oravitz:** That's fascinating. Are there any other new technologies, like new add-ons, um, that you've seen, that you've found to be really cool or interesting?  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I think the biggest thing, actually, kind of going back to our whole topic for today is fertility preservation cancer patients. One of the biggest things that I've learned recently is that we used to start fertility, um, patients. You know, only in the beginning of the cycle days, two or three is technically like when most. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Most clinics, um, start patients, but for our cancer patients, sometimes you don't have that time. You don't wanna wait a full month to [00:23:00] restart, um, your, you know, your menstrual cycle and then do the fertility preservation and then delay chemotherapy a full month. So we started doing what we call random starts. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So you basically start a patient whenever they come in. You know, it could be the day after your consultation, the day of your consultation. I've kind of seen all of the above. Um, and we've seen really good success with random starts, per se. Um, and we've been doing a lot more of that, where it's not as dependent on where you're at in your cycle. **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, obviously there's a difference in outcomes. You might not be a great candidate for it, so definitely it's worth talking to your doctor about it. But it kind of gives relief to our cancer patients where if you have a new cancer diagnosis and you're like, oh, I just finished my period, like, I can't even start a cycle until next month. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** That's not always true. Um, so it's always worth it to go into see a fertility specialist and just get, you know, get the data that you need right away, and then you can make a decision later on. **Michelle Oravitz:** For sure. Um, Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** and I wanted to kind of cover a lot of different topics 'cause I know that [00:24:00] some people are gonna wanna hear what you have to say that don't necessarily, or, uh, have cancer. But it is important. I, I think that, you know, if you get to thirties and you haven't gotten married or you don't have a partner, I think it's really important to preserve your fertility in general.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** important thing. And then if you were going through a cancer diagnosis and you decided to preserve your fertility, um, guess more for women because they're eventually going to be thinking about transfers after they go through treatment. So what are some of the things that they would need to consider as far as that goes? **Michelle Oravitz:** Like after the  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** then they go through the cancer treatments. Um, and then what, how long should they  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** yeah. Like what does it look like? So I've had patients that come back, you know, in my fellowship training I did a, a couple research projects on patients that came back to pursue an embryo transfer, um, after chemotherapy agent. And basically compared them to how they did, um, [00:25:00] compared to patients that didn't have cancer and just froze their embryos or froze their eggs and then came back to pursue a transfer and. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I think the, the most reassuring thing from the preliminary data that we have is saying that there's no difference in pregnancy rates and no difference in life birth,  **Michelle Oravitz:** Awesome.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** of whether they had chemotherapy or not. After freezing those eggs and going through fertility preservation.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Amazing.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, in terms of where your body needs to be, I think the oncologist, we, we wait for their green light. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** We wait for their signal to say, you know, she's safe to carry a pregnancy.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** And then once we do that, we basically treat you like any other patient. So if you're coming in for a cycle, if you're having periods, then it's reasonable to try a natural cycle protocol, wait for your body to naturally ovulate an egg. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** And instead of obviously hoping that egg will fertilize, we, um, use a corpus luteum. We use the progesterone from the corpus luteum to really support this embryo being implanted into the uterus. Um. Yeah. [00:26:00] And then there's also another side. I mean, some patients don't get their periods back and they always ask like, what if I never get my period back? **Dr. Nirali Jain:** What if I'm just like in menopause because of the chemotherapy agents? And for that, we can start you on a synthetic protocol or basically an estrogen dependent protocol where you take an estrogen pill for a certain number of days. We monitor your lining, then we start progesterone, um, to support your hormones from that perspective instead of relying on your ovaries to release the progesterone that they need, um, and then doing the embryo transfer a few, few days after progesterone starts. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So there's definitely different protocols depending on where your menstrual health is at after the chemotherapy or after the cancer treatment. Um, but it's important to kind of just know that. That there's options. It doesn't mean that it's the end of the road if you all of a sudden stop getting your period. **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah, for sure. I mean, 'cause you, technically speaking, you can really control a lot of that. More so for transfers  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yep. **Michelle Oravitz:** Retrievals really is kind of like what [00:27:00] eggs you have, what the quality is. But people can be in complete menopause and you guys can still control their cycles for transfer, which is kind of. A huge difference  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah,  **Michelle Oravitz:** in the  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** exactly. That's exactly right. Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** interesting. Any other, um, new, new things that you're, you guys are excited about? I always like to hear about like the new and upcoming things  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Of course.  **Michelle Oravitz:** actually before, which I thought was fascinating. Yeah.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I feel like there's always like updates and, and new data and things like that coming out, but just know, I think it's important for patients to know, like we're constantly, we're, the reason I chose to even pursue this field was because it's new. Right. There's something that we are discovering every day, every year, and that's what makes our, our conferences so important to attend, um, to really just stay up to date. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, but we are, uh, constantly updating our embryology standards, the way we thaw our eggs, and the success rate associated with a thaw and [00:28:00] how we treat our embryos and the media that we use, right? Like, so we're really thinking about the basic science perspective every single day, and that's what makes this field so unique. **Michelle Oravitz:** It is really awesome. And so do you guys specialize specifically on, um. Egg freezing and, and I mean specific fertility preservation in patients that do that have cancer that are going through treatments, do you guys specialize specifically in that? I mean, I know you do range  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah. Yeah, because it's such a small community, we all have our own niches and we all kind of have our own interests and  **Michelle Oravitz:** Yeah.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** no like specific training. There are a couple courses that you take that I took in in training as well, just to kind of understand what it sounds like to, I. Council of fertility preservation, patient with and without cancer. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Um, and then, you know, you kind of just learn by experience and you form a niche for something that you're passionate about. 'cause that's what makes you, you know, really thorough in, in your treatment. [00:29:00] So that's one of my interests. Um, and, but I would say,  **Michelle Oravitz:** training for that. It's just like  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** just know how to treat that in  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** exactly.  **Michelle Oravitz:** especially if you're interested in doing that.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Exactly. That's exactly right. It's kind of, it just comes with the experience comes with your mentors and who you're surrounded by, and everyone kind of helps each other get to that point. But there are several specialists in our practice at RMA that specialize specifically in fertility preservation in cancer patients. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So we have a close communication with our oncologist and they know who to refer to within the practice because everyone has their own little interests.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Amazing.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah. **Michelle Oravitz:** Um, definitely. I, like I said, I really enjoy picking your brain because it's a lot of fun for me. I, I do  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Totally.  **Michelle Oravitz:** acupuncture, so  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** and I, I think that it's just so crazy that our fields don't work together. I mean, we kind of do, but I think, I just feel like it would be so great  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** exactly.[00:30:00]  **Michelle Oravitz:** the expertise because you guys have immense. Benefits like in, in, uh, technology and incredible innovations and, and then the natural aspect of really understanding the, the body. And I, I just think that it would work so amazing together if it was more of like a thing. 'cause it, I know in China they actually combine the two  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah.  **Michelle Oravitz:** eastern.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, I mean I think that that's so important and there is data that shows, you know, there's actually a recent study that came out just a few weeks ago on the benefits of acupuncture for fertility patients. And we know that, I mean, I recommend it to all of my patients, specifically the day of the embryo transfer. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** We, luckily, we offer it on site at RMA and we have acupuncturists that come in and, and do a session before and after the embryo transfer, and I think. A lot of that is targeted towards stress relief. But I also think that holistically it's important to feel at your best when we're doing something that's so crucial to your, to your health. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So to really focus on the diet, focus on stress relief, [00:31:00] focus on meditation, yoga, whatever it takes to get to your best wellbeing when you're going through fertility treatments, um, is so important. So I appreciate  **Michelle Oravitz:** Mm-hmm.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** like you that really specialize in the other side of. Of this, because I do consider it still part of the holistic medicine that we need to really maximize success for our patients. **Michelle Oravitz:** Awesome. Well,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah, **Michelle Oravitz:** Jane, this is such a pleasure Of talking to you. You've given us some, so much great information and we've definitely dived into a, do a topic that I don't typically, I haven't yet spoken about. But, um, that being said, it's such an important topic to talk about. And thank you so much for coming on today. **Michelle Oravitz:** Oh,  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** course. **Michelle Oravitz:** I get off, how can people find you?  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** That's a great question. So I have, um, a social media page. I, it's called Expert nc. So like EGG,  **Michelle Oravitz:** I  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** um, expert nc. Try, tried to make it a little bit humorous. Um, but I'm all over social [00:32:00] media and would love to hear from anyone that is listening. I, you know, every, every day I get different, um, dms and I'm happy to respond. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** I love hearing about everyone else's. Stories and things like that. Um, so that is kind of my main, main social media platform. Um, and then through like RMA and Reproductive Medical Associates, we also have a YouTube channel. We have an Instagram page, um, of our office available, um, as well that is public. **Dr. Nirali Jain:** So you can find us pretty easily if you just kind of hit Google. But um, yeah, I'm kind of developing my social media platform as the expert and I hope it grows.  **Michelle Oravitz:** Love it. Great.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Yeah.  **Michelle Oravitz:** was such a pleasure talking to you. Thank you. so much **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Thank you. **Michelle Oravitz:** today.  **Dr. Nirali Jain:** Of course. Thank you so much for having me.  [00:33:00]   

Love the episode? Send us a text!In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, I, Laura Carfing, founder of survivingbreastcancer.org, delve into the critical topic of fertility preservation and genetic counseling for breast cancer patients. Joined by Alejandra Bernal, a genetic counseling student at the University of Pittsburgh, and Melissa Bourdius , a hereditary cancer counselor, we explore the intersection of cancer treatment, fertility, and genetics.Alejandra shares insights from her research on how patients are informed about the risk of infertility due to cancer treatments and the role genetic counselors can play in this process. She highlights the importance of asking the right questions and involving a multidisciplinary team to ensure patients receive comprehensive information about their options.Melissa discusses the genetic aspects of cancer, explaining how mutations in genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2 can increase cancer risk and affect family planning decisions. She emphasizes the importance of genetic counseling in helping patients understand their risks and make informed decisions about their treatment and future family planning.It's all here for you in today's episode! Resources:https://www.facingourrisk.org/support/insurance-paying-for-care/screening-and-prevention/fertility-preservation/overviewhttps://www.allianceforfertilitypreservation.org/fertility-risks-from-treatment/https://www.thechickmission.org/  Information about grants and advocacyhttps://worththewaitcharity.com/resources/patient-education/   Has practical patient resourcesSURVIVINGBREASTCANCER.ORGAttend a free virtual SurvivingBreastCancer.org event:https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/eventsFollow us on InstagramSurvivingBreastCancer.org: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/Breast Cancer Conversations: https://www.instagram.com/breastcancerconversations/About SurvivingBreastCancer.org: SurvivingBreastCancer.org, Inc. (SBC) is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit virtual platform headquartered in Boston with a national and global reach. Through education, community, and resources, SurvivingBreastCancer.org supports women and men going through breast cancer. We provide a sanctuary of strength, compassion, and empowerment, where those diagnosed with cancer unite to share their stories, learn invaluable coping strategies to manage wellness and mental health, and find solace in the unbreakable bond that fuels hope, resilience, and the courage to conquer adversity.Support the show

Teresa K. Woodruff joined an elite group of Americans who have received two national medals of honor when President Joe Biden announced the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science on Jan. 3.  Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, presented Woodruff with the medal at a ceremony at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., on the same date. The first person from Michigan State University to receive the National Medal of Science, Woodruff has made significant global contributions in scientific research, improvements to the scientific process and diversification of research teams. Woodruff is an MSU Foundation professor in both the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at MSU's College of Human Medicine and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at MSU's College of Engineering. She was named provost of MSU in August 2020 and served as interim president of MSU from 2022-2024.   Established in 1959 by the U.S. Congress, the National Medal of Science is the highest recognition the nation can bestow on scientists and engineers. Teresa is the first MSU faculty member to receive the recognition.   President Barack Obama presented Woodruff with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in an Oval Office ceremony in 2011. It is very rare to receive two presidential honors.   Conversation Highlights: (1:36) - Congratulations! How does it feel? (2:30) - You're one of the world's leading fertility experts, and you pioneered the science of oncofertility in 2006 that has helped thousands of cancer patients protect their reproductive futures. Talk about how your interest in this area developed and describe your research interests. (4:43) - How is your research evolving? Findings lead to more questions, right? What is the zinc spark? (6:37) - Teaching and mentoring are important to you. You're an advocate for women in science and led efforts to change federal policy to mandate the use of females in fundamental National Institutes of Health research.Your students inspire you. Why is mentoring important to you and how are they helping carry on your work? (8:57) - Why MSU? You could do this research anywhere.  (9:57) – The burgeoning MSU Health Sciences. Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows.

What would it take to create an Artificial Ovary?Meet Ariella Shikanov, professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan. Earlier this year, her team at Shikanov Lab made history when they created a new Map of the Ovary.With the support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Ariella's team mapped gene expression in various regions of the ovary, marking a major milestone in our understanding of reproductive biology.Enjoy!Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM(00:00) Intro(03:00) How ovaries work: eggs, hormones, and follicles explained(06:10) Puberty and how the brain controls your ovaries(07:30) How your ovaries talk to other organs(09:00) Key findings from Map of The Ovary research(12:00) Oncofertility: preserving fertility during cancer treatment(15:30) The challenge and hope of freezing ovarian tissue(17:50) Delaying menopause: new approaches to keep ovaries functioning longer(21:00) The future of artificial ovaries and extending hormone production(24:00) How the immune system affects ovarian health, PCOS, and endometriosis(28:00) Women's immune health and its role in reproduction(31:00) Ethical questions in ovarian research(35:00) How delaying menopause could improve quality of life(37:50) How Ariella's work is shaping the future of women's healthLinks:Ariella's X Profile - https://x.com/ariellashikanovShikanov Lab at University of Michigan - Research overview, publications, and projects related to preserving ovarian function and artificial ovary development.https://www.shikanov.bme.umich.eduMap of the Human Ovary - Spatial Atlas Research - A detailed explanation of the map created by Shikanov Lab, including its implications for fertility research.https://news.engin.umich.edu/articles/spatial-atlas-of-the-human-ovaryHuman Cell Atlas: Ovarian Map - A cellular atlas of the human ovary using spatial transcriptomics and single-cell sequencing data.https://explore.data.humancellatlas.org/projects/f598aee0-d269-4036-90e9-d6d5b1c84429 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In honor of October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we're highlighting Joyelle Fleming's story with breast cancer, which began at the young age of 31. During her journey, Joyelle was faced with a difficult decision – what to do about her future fertility given the impact of cancer treatment. With the support of her doctors and access to fertility benefits through Progyny, Joyelle was able to freeze her eggs and focus on fighting cancer.  In this episode, Joyelle reflects on her experience, from navigating fertility preservation to finding strength and support from loved ones and breast cancer advocacy groups. Her story highlights the power of proactive choices and the peace of mind they can provide in the face of life's toughest moments. To learn more about oncofertiltiy, check out resources here Breast cancer resources mentioned in this episode: ·      Imerman Angles ·      The Breasties ·      Touch BBCA ·      Hair & Hope Guest: Joyelle Flemming, Progyny Member at Genentech Host: Dan Bulger, Progyny   For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com. 

Welcome to the latest episode of Supportive Care Matters. Join Medical Oncologist Professor Bogda Koczwara AM and Dr. Wanda Cui as they dive deep into the often overlooked complexities of ovarian toxicity in cancer care.In this engaging conversation, Bogda and Wanda go beyond the surface discussions of fertility to explore the vital importance of a woman's overall ovarian health after cancer treatment. They discuss the far-reaching effects of early menopause triggered by cancer therapies on cardiovascular and bone health, shedding light on the significance of safeguarding reproductive potential through fertility preservation methods.Together, they tackle the challenges of measuring ovarian function in clinical practice, highlighting the disparities in menstrual recovery among different age groups post-treatment. By exploring predictive values and the effectiveness of indicators like menstruation, pregnancy rates, and hormonal levels, they provide insights into personalised clinical practices essential for addressing individual patient needs.The discussion also emphasises the urgent need for improved research in ovarian toxicity, particularly within breast cancer trials where data is lacking. Supportive Care Matters isn't just a podcast; it's a call to action for greater patient involvement and policy change in cancer care.Join us as we navigate the complexities of ovarian toxicity and strive for better support and care for cancer patients everywhere. Visit www.oncologynews.com.au for show notes and more information about Supportive Care Matters!This conversation is proudly produced by The Oncology Network.TO VIEW SHOW NOTES AND MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SUPPORTIVE CARE MATTERS, HEAD TO WWW.ONCOLOGYNEWS.COM.AU

When it comes to our reproductive health, hindsight is often 20/20. But in a world where it takes an average of 7-10 years to be diagnosed with endometriosis, it's high time for reproductive healthcare that is proactive vs. reactive. In this episode of From First Period To Last Period, Rescripted Co-Founder Kristyn Hodgdon sits down with Dr. Jason Kofinas of the Kofinas Fertility Group to discuss how a woman's overall gynecological health can impact her fertility, the current guidelines for Pap smears and mammograms, as well as groundbreaking fertility preservation options for young cancer patients. Brought to you by⁠⁠ Rescripted⁠⁠⁠ and the ⁠⁠Kofinas Fertility Group⁠⁠.

Join us as we chat with Karla Hutt (Monash University) about oncofertility, including currently available options for fertility preservation and the latest research on protecting the ovary from damage during cancer treatment. For this month's repro news and more info on our guest, check out the show notes here.

Interview with Kara N. Goldman, MD, author of A Geospatial Analysis of Disparities in Access to Oncofertility Services. Hosted by Jack West, MD. Related Content: A Geospatial Analysis of Disparities in Access to Oncofertility Services

Interview with Kara N. Goldman, MD, author of A Geospatial Analysis of Disparities in Access to Oncofertility Services. Hosted by Jack West, MD. Related Content: A Geospatial Analysis of Disparities in Access to Oncofertility Services

WATCH THE VIDEO WEBCAST HERE: https://youtu.be/ACFprGG10M0 In this episode, our host, Dr. Timothy Cripe from Nationwide Children's Hospital, is joined by Dr. Seth Rotz - pediatric hematologist/oncologist and the Director of the Fertility Preservation Program at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Listen in as they discuss Dr. Rotz's career & specialty in fertility preservation for cancer patients: how he got into the field, what was needed to start the program, & the process and risks associated with oncofertility. ----more---- Have any thoughts? Questions? Ideas for future topics? Email us at TWIPO@solvingkidscancer.org. Subscribe to TWIPO to get notifications of new uploads. Want to listen to TWIPO's past episodes? Visit www.solvingkidscancer.org/podcast

In this episode, Dr. Leslie Appiah, who is fellowship-trained in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology and is the Director of the Fertility Preservation Program at the University of Colorado, discusses oncofertility and fertility preservation. --- EARN CME Reflect on how this Podcast applies to your day-to-day and earn free AMA PRA Category 1 CMEs: https://earnc.me/KtEfCL --- SHOW NOTES Dr. Appiah begins the episode by defining oncofertility as a multidisciplinary field that improves fertility and reproductive health outcomes for patients with cancer diagnoses. She emphasizes the growth of the field, with the term “oncofertility” being coined in 2009 by Dr. Teresa Woodruff at Northwestern University. Now, 13 states have legislation that mandates insurance providers to cover fertility services for patients with and without cancer. The primary patient population that may benefit includes patients with a cancer diagnosis, although additional populations who may benefit, including patients with Sickle Cell Anemia undergoing bone marrow transplant, systemic lupus erythematosus using alkylator therapies, transgender populations undergoing gender-affirming treatments, and patients born with genetic conditions that may result in infertility (e.g., Turner Syndrome). The main agents that are harmful to fertility include alkylator and radiation therapies. The physicians then transition to discuss fertility preservation, and Dr. Appiah highlights that it is the responsibility of medical providers to offer counseling for every patient who is at risk for infertility. She then describes types of fertility preservation, including sperm banking, testicular tissue preservation, egg freezing, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Dr. Appiah then shares 3 different procedures that are used for ovarian tissue cryopreservation, the most common approach begin a laparoscopic procedure to retrieve one ovary, which is then preserved and later transplanted back into the pelvic peritoneum once the patient has completed cancer therapies and is ready to start a family. The episode concludes with Dr. Appiah shares future directions in the field of oncofertility, which includes streamlining the process for male patients, ensuring every state is able to allow fertility preservation services that are covered by insurance providers, optimizing the process of transplanting ovarian tissue, and utilizing ovarian tissues for hormone replacement. --- RESOURCES ReproTech, Fertility Preservation: https://www.reprotech.com/fertility-preservation-network/ Oncofertility Consortium: https://oncofertility.msu.edu/about/ Alliance for Fertility Preservation, Fertility Scout: https://www.allianceforfertilitypreservation.org/about-fertility-scout/

Today's guest has been on the podcast before. In Episode 54, Emily Rich shared her experience with freezing embryos prior to going through cancer treatment. Now, as that battle has passed, Emily shares with us something extremely special.   Throughout this episode, we go along with Emily on her family building journey in real-time. Through video updates, she documented her process from the moment she came off her cancer medication, to the moment she first heard her son's heartbeat. Emily takes us through the full frontal oncofertility experience, and every emotion that comes with it.   Guest: Emily Rich, Progyny member  Host: Dan Bulger  For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com. 

In this month's Fertility & Sterility: Unplugged, we take a look at articles from each of F&S's sister journals! Topics this month include: high sensitivity C reactive protein and pregnancy outcomes with guest Sarah Gavrizi (0:56), new techniques to optimize outcomes in ovarian tissue cryopreservation (10:54), and a review of the evidence on factors that affect euploid blastocyst implantation (21:33). F&S Reports: https://www.fertstertreports.org/article/S2666-3341(22)00002-2/fulltext F&S Science: https://www.fertstertscience.org/article/S2666-335X(22)00044-1/fulltext F&S Reviews: https://www.fertstertreviews.org/article/S2666-5719(22)00003-2/fulltext View the sister journals at: https://www.fertstertreviews.org https://www.fertstertreports.org https://www.fertstertscience.org

Oncologist Dr Matteo Lambertini believes it's important to empower female patients, as well as improve the networks between oncologists and fertility experts. Listen now as he talks to Maura Dickler  about what it takes to remove the barriers - and why it all begins with clinical trials.“Now, as physicians, as medical oncologists, we have more responsibilities because it's not only the cure of the disease, but it's also to avoid as much as possible the side effects… We need to pay more attention when we design clinical trials to try to focus on the survivorship issues.” Dr Matteo Lambertini

Chris and Cara are joined today by Dr. Bonnie Kaiser, anthropologist, global health researcher, and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of California San Diego. On today's episode, they discuss her recent work on the relationship between mental health and medical pluralism in Haiti, idioms of distress, oncofertility, the power of team-based projects, and taking the time to un-pack and innovate new methods and measurement tools to reflect context-based participant experiences. Contact Dr. Kaiser on her faculty website: https://anthropology.ucsd.edu/people/faculty/faculty-profiles/Bonnie%20N.%20Kaiser.html, on Twitter: @BonnieNKaiser, and by email: bnkaiser@ucsd.edu Contact the Sausage of Science Podcast and Human Biology Association: Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/humanbiologyassociation Website:humbio.org/, Twitter: @HumBioAssoc Cara Ocobock, Website: sites.nd.edu/cara-ocobock/, Email:cocobock@nd.edu, Twitter:@CaraOcobock Chris Lynn, HBA Public Relations Committee Chair, Website: cdlynn.people.ua.edu/, Email: cdlynn@ua.edu, Twitter:@Chris_Ly Delaney Glass, Website: dglass.netlify.app/, Email: dglass1@uw.edu, Twitter: @GlassDelaney Alexandra Niclou, Email: aniclou@nd.edu, Twitter: @fiat_Luxandra

This week on Finding Your Bliss, we have a show devoted to preserving fertility, even in the face of cancer. Life Coach Judy Librach sits down with Oncofertility specialist Dr. Karen Glass from the CReATe Fertility Centre, and also with a very happy patient who was able to freeze her embryos before cancer treatment and is now pregnant with her first child! Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer at 33-years old and was told she needed to have surgery and treatment to remove it. After surgery, she was sent to the CReATe Fertility Clinic in Toronto to have her eggs retrieved as the cancer treatment could have hurt her ovarian reserve. She went to see Dr. Karen Glass at the CReATe Fertility Centre, and they decided to freeze her embryos instead of her eggs. As she puts it,

Cancer therapy can affect future fertility and pregnancy outcomes.  Some patients will consider IVF with embryo or egg freezing to preserve fertility.  Listen to a breast cancer survivor discuss her decision to freeze eggs years ago, a healthy pregnancy, and how she is considering using the frozen eggs today. Find the #StartwithSART Fertility Experts series wherever you get your podcasts. Looking for advice on building a family? Ask the experts and #StartwithSART. For more information about the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, visit our website at https://www.sart.org Have a topic you'd like to hear? Tell Us!

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Yasmin Jayasinghe, FRANZCOG, PhD Cancer treatment can impact fertility outcomes for individuals throughout the U.S. as well as around the globe, which is why the emerging field of oncofertility is here to help male and female patients navigate their fertility options before and after their cancer treatments. So what can we learn from oncofertility services and efforts from other countries around the world? Joining Dr. Jacob Sands to share her global viewpoints on the field of oncofertility is Dr. Yasmin Jayasinghe, Director of the Oncofertility Program at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Yasmin Jayasinghe, FRANZCOG, PhD Pediatric and adolescent oncofertility patients are cared for differently than adult patients. That's why Dr. Yasmin Jayasinghe, Director of the Oncofertility Program at the Royal Children's Hospital, is here to give us an overview of the available procedures for pediatric patients and the key considerations that go along with them.

It is Fertility Preservation Month, and today on the show we are speaking with Dr. Beth Rackow about gestational carriers and cancer. More information on these topics is at www.asrm.org Tell us your thoughts on the show by e-mailing asrm@asrm.org Please subscribe and rate the show on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. ASRM Today Series Podcasts are supported in part by the ASRM Corporate Member Council

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Suneeta Senapati, MD, MSCE Guest: Mindy Christianson, MD Patients undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy may be at significant risk of impairment or inability to have children later in life. This risk impacts both men and women equally, but fortunately, the field of oncofertility can help guide patients as they navigate their fertility options prior to cancer treatment. Here to share their insights on this emerging field with Dr. Jacob Sands are Dr. Mindy Christianson and Dr. Suneeta Senapati.

It is Fertility Preservation Month, and today on the show we are discussing Oncofertility and Adolescents. Our gusts today are Dr. Abby Taylor, who is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pediatric Urology at Vanderbilt, and Dr. Scott Borinstein, who is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Director, Pediatric Sarcoma Program, Director, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program, and Director, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program, also at Vanderbilt. More information on these topics is at www.asrm.org Tell us your thoughts on the show by e-mailing asrm@asrm.org Please subscribe and rate the show on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. ASRM Today Series Podcasts are supported in part by the ASRM Corporate Member Council.

It is Fertility Preservation Month, and today on the show we are talking Oncofertility with Dr. Eric Widra. Websites mentioned during the interview: https://www.livestrong.org/ https://www.allianceforfertilitypreservation.org/ https://resolve.org/ More information on these topics is at www.asrm.org Tell us your thoughts on the show by e-mailing asrm@asrm.org Please subscribe and rate the show on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. ASRM Today Series Podcasts are supported in part by the ASRM Corporate Member Council

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we're shedding light on oncofertility, the intersection of cancer, cancer treatment, and fertility.  A cancer diagnosis can be terrifying, and often decisions need to be made quickly. One of those decisions may be around whether or not to pursue fertility preservation before cancer treatment starts since some treatment may leave a patient infertile. Oncofertility gives a patient the opportunity to focus on life after cancer.  Although oncofertility is a groundbreaking practice, there are still questions and misconceptions. Today, we have Dr. Wael Salem of CCRM San Francisco to help break it down.   Guest: Dr. Wael Salem, CCRM San Francisco  Host: Dan Bulger  For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny's Education page for more resources.   Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.      Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.  

Oncofertility is a specialty for those about to receive a treatment that will likely be destructive to their ovaries, or testicles with an impact to fertility. In today's episode, we hear from Advanced Practice Provider and Nurse Practitioner Sarah Felderhoff and Adolescent and Young Adult and Survivor Anmol Desai.

Can cancer survivors have children? How can survivors and current patients seeking treatment be more aware about family planning? What are some of the most important factors to look at? There are four subspecialties of Ob/Gyn, where one is the sub-field of Oncofertility. Listen to our chat with Dr. Vaidehi Mujumdar, MD, where we answer the above questions and more. Follow Brown Women Health on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/support

Can cancer survivors have children? How can survivors and current patients seeking treatment be more aware about family planning? What are some of the most important factors to look at? There are four subspecialties of Ob/Gyn, where one is the sub-field of Oncofertility. Listen to our chat with Dr. Vaidehi Mujumdar, MD, where we answer the above questions and more. Follow Brown Women Health on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/support

Allowing patients to consider fertility options before, after cancer treatment 

Join Steven Fleming, PhD, Michel De Vos, MD, PhD and Robert Gilchrist, DSc as they discuss the role of IVM in oncofertility. In this episode, they chat about the definition of IVM, why it is a useful approach for the management of oncofertility, and the different options available for cancer patients. Look out for the following episodes on this topic! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

你有沒有想過，為什麼常看到的動物實驗都是以雄性動物為主？這種決定是否有科學依據，還是只是我們習以為常的蕭規曹隨？當我們正視男女生物因子的差異和個人生殖權利時，又會對藥物研發和社會制度有什麼影響？昱穎跟隨生殖醫學權威 Teresa Woodruff 博士做研究，就讓我們透過昱穎的敘述，一起聊聊科學中的性別議題，來認識生殖醫學這個陌生、卻與我們生活息息相關的領域。同時，也一起思考科學家如何推進社會觀念的進步。這是三腳貓第一次邀請來賓，還在摸索音質調控，請大家見諒！若有什麼秘方也歡迎來信分享喔！ --- 安眠藥在男性與女性體內代謝速率差異：https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drugs-can-affect-men-and-women-differently/ Teresa Woodruff 的維基百科介紹：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Woodruff --- Contact Us ◎ Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/MidwestTBA ◎ LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/midwest-tba/ ◎ YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/c/MTBAWebinar ◎ Website | https://www.midwest-tba.org/ ◎ IG | www.instagram.com/m.t.b.a.symposium/ ◎ Email | mtbasymposium@gmail.com --- Credit 內容製作：昱穎、雯薇、Mike、浩文 後製：浩文 文案：昱穎、浩文、安琪 音樂：雯薇 封面：毓鴻 上架：乃馨、雯薇 宣傳：安琪、雯薇

Back on the show today in this special bonus episode of Out of Patients, a little segment we're calling "Scrambled Eggs." with returning champion guest Alice Crisci, cancer survivor, fertility activist, and Founder and CEO of MedAnswers. What triggered this conversation was a recent article in Ms. Magazine by cancer survivor Madison Chapman opening up a wormhole about all the stupidity and ridiculousness surrounding fertility preservation and fertility rights issues; unnecessary obstacles that somehow still lie in the road nearly 45 years later when the science first began. Note that if you are interested in fertility advocacy and what you are about to listen to pisses you off just enough, our partnership with the nonprofit RESOLVE may be just the thing you're looking for to take action, join the movement, and give back. Let's jump down the rabbit hole.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which means today’s bonus episode is all about fertility preservation for cancer, otherwise known as oncofertility. Receiving a cancer diagnosis can turn your world upside down but understanding your fertility options from day one can make all the difference. Thanks to earlier detection and improved treatments, survival rates among cancer patients have increased steadily, and as a result, focus has shifted from immediate treatment to life after cancer too, including your future fertility.  This episode comes from a recent webinar featuring Meghan Curci, Progyny Patient Care Advocate, Jaime Knopman, M.D., Director of Fertility Preservation at CCRM New York and part of Progyny’s Provider Network; Emily Rich, VP of Strategic Planning and Operations at UJA and Progyny member; Joyce Reinecke, J.D., Executive Director at Alliance for Fertility Preservation.   Host: Meghan Curci, Progyny Patient Care Advocate   Experts:  Jaime Knopman, M.D., CCRM New York,  Emily Rich, Progyny member, Joyce Reinecke, Alliance for Fertility Preservation.   For more episodes of This is Infertility on Oncofertility:  Episode 19: Oncofertility: Making Fertility Preservation a Priority  Episode 20: Oncofertility: Fighting for Fertility Preservation Coverage  Episode 21: Oncofertility: The Hope Fertility Preservation Can Bring  Episode 22: Oncofertility: Helping Patients Navigate Between Oncology and Fertility  Episode 54: Oncofertility: Having a Fertility Benefit that Covers Fertility Preservation  Episode 84: Oncofertility: Donor Eggs, Surrogacy, and Embracing a New Plan  For more information visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources.  Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.     Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.   

There has been a significant societal change concerning the economy, the science we have developed, as well as the medicine we now practice. Along with many contributing factors including increased life expectancy, a pushback in childbearing age, and other extrinsic factors like illnesses and respective treatments, many people, male and female, are now reaching out and going through the process of fertility preservation. Our guest today specializes in and advocates fertility preservation for women in general. Dr. Jovana Lekovich is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, a reproductive endocrinologist, and an infertility specialist. She cares for patients at RMA of New York’s Brooklyn and Manhattan offices. She is the Director of the Oncofertility Program at Blavatnik Family — Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai. Dr. Lekovich is also an assistant clinical professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where she specializes in treating all aspects of reproductive medicine and infertility. She is most passionate about understanding the principles behind ovarian aging and diminished ovarian reserve as well as fertility preservation for patients facing cancer diagnosis needing gonadotoxic treatment. Today’s topic focuses on and around Dr. Lekovich’s specialty of oncofertility, something we haven’t explored yet on the podcast. Stay tuned for a fascinating discussion around fertility preservation, the process it involves, and more!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and when you hear the word cancer, your mind doesn’t automatically go to fertility preservation. But when 30-year-old Tricia Russo learned she would have to go through chemotherapy, radiation, a mastectomy, reconstruction, and begin taking medications that could prompt menopause for her breast cancer diagnosis, her team quickly floated the idea of freezing embryos.  It’s been nine years since Tricia’s breast cancer diagnosis, and her world looks a lot different. Not only is she a breast cancer survivor, she has endured a brain cancer diagnosis and surgery, became a mother through a surrogate and using donor eggs, and detailed her experience through a documentary film.  In today’s episode, we hear from Tricia on her experience, and get further insight from her fertility doctor, Dr. Natalie Cekleniak of IRMS.  Guests: Tricia Russo, Filmmaker, Dr. Natalie Cekleniak, IRMS  Host: Dan Bulger  You can watch ‘Love Always, Mom’, on Amazon Prime here.  For more episodes of This is Infertility on Oncofertility:  Episode 19: Oncofertility: Making Fertility Preservation a Priority  Episode 20: Oncofertility: Fighting for Fertility Preservation Coverage  Episode 21: Oncofertility: The Hope Fertility Preservation Can Bring  Episode 22: Oncofertility: Helping Patients Navigate Between Oncology and Fertility  Episode 54: Oncofertility: Having a Fertility Benefit that Covers Fertility Preservation  Progyny is hosting a free webinar, Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients: Focusing on Survival and Your Life After Cancer, with experts from the oncofertility industry (many of which are previous podcast guests!). You can find more information about it here.   For more information visit Progyny’s Podcast page and Progyny’s Education page for more resources.   Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.      Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.  

Today’s show about fertility and family planing is very personal to millions of people. Because, while you may want to be a biological mom or dad one day, bad things happen to good people. Joining me is perhaps one of the most unsung advocacy heroes you may never have heard of, Barb Collura, the President and CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. One in eight couples struggle with infertility, and that’s not discount the single men and women who may not have a partner yet to build a family with. Let alone the hundreds of thousands born infertile or left infertile from cancer, chronic disease, or other reasons. Barb is THE go-to expert fighting on our behalf with the National Institutes of Health, The National Cancer Institute, The National Health Council, and — yes — The World Health Organization because they are actually an incredible governing body. So whether you have sperm, eggs, embryos, a uterus, or some or NONE of those things, this episode is the story of you. And bonus points if you can say the word IATROGENIC ten times fast, and/or perhaps find a word that rhymes with it.

Woodruff talks about her past interactions with MSU and the state of Michigan, and says she “grew up wanting to be a teacher. I never thought about being a provost. When I went to college, I was thinking about being a first grade teacher. My mother was a teacher, and my grandmother was a teacher of all grades on the Panhandle of Oklahoma during the great Dust Bowl. My goal was really set in education. And so in many ways, I've continued with that particular goal, but as I got into college, I really fell in love with research, really trying to not only understand how people derive those answers in the back of the book, but really how to come up with those questions.”  Dr. Wooodruff is an expert in ovarian biology and reproductive science. She explains how in 2006 she coined the term oncofertility to describe the merging of two fields, oncology and fertility. Oncofertility is now globally recognized as a medical discipline with insurance and reimbursement available to patients and providers in many countries. In addition, she's an advocate for women in science and has led efforts to change federal policy to mandate the use of females in fundamental National Institute of Health research.   “It's not every day that new fields of medicine are developed that change the fabric of how reimbursement and insurance actually gets done. Because of what we were able to accomplish, we really do have options for most male and female young cancer patients from zero age all the way up to about 40 years of age,” says Woodruff.   Woodruff was presented with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring by President Obama in an Oval Office ceremony in 2011.   “That was really the highlight of my life,” explains Woodruff. “President Obama is such a champion of mentorship, science, and medicine. Standing in front of the Lincoln Desk in the Oval Office listening to him really talk about how we have to make sure that the next generation of learners understands how science informs their lives was so inspiring.”President Obama told Woodruff how “'the most important thing to me is making sure that we have a bright light on mentoring and we make sure that everybody understands that mentoring is really a part of the fabric of how America continues to grow and develop.' It was really a very inspiring, inspiring moment. At the very end he leaned into me as he was shaking my hand and said, ‘Say hi to everyone back in Chicago.' So a really exciting moment.”  As provost, Woodruff will be the chief academic officer for the university, providing leadership for academic programs, research and outreach involving faculty, students and staff. Woodruff will also be an MSU Foundation Professor of obstetrics gynecology, reproductive biology and biomedical engineering.   Woodruff says she was attracted to the position because “there are great underlying strengths at Michigan State. It's a great AAU institution. I have been very interested in leadership and wanted to make sure that I could contribute whatever I've learned over my time to the next generation of learners. Michigan State really is a place that is pivoting towards a very exciting future and it's a place that I really admire and have admired over time. It's been stress tested, no doubt, over the last several years, but it's a very exciting place to be. I'm most excited about President Stanley. He really is an amazing individual. He has a great national reputation. And as someone who is an expert in infectious diseases himself, he's a great scientist, and he's also a great leader for us at this time.”  Woodruff talks about some of her short and long term goals for MSU and says “there are headwinds because of COVID-19. How will we use technology to communicate and what does that means in terms of community? The university is a great place where we learn not just by what is in the books or that you can Google, but when you talk to people, how you think, and how your professor thinks. That's really an important part of how we learn and how we think. So we're going to have to really think through a lot of that. Whether we're in person or not, all of those nuts and bolts of what it is to be within a university setting are going to have to be part of our thinking, and so we're just all going to work together to enable the best outcomes for our community. And I look forward to being part of that decisioning.  “I am looking forward to really working together with the university family to really enable the creation of people and ideas to do the best of what they do and to make not only our individuals better, but our community better and hopefully our world better. That's something that I really can't wait to get started on.”  MSU Today airs Sunday mornings at 9:00 on 105.1 FM, AM 870, and your smart speaker. 

Greater than 70-80% of women and children will survive cancer.  Infertility is a large concern that survivors report. In this podcast, Dr. Julie Rios discusses the role of the primary OB/GYN in oncofertility, fertility preservation options, and the scope of gynecological care after cancer treatment.

Host: Dr. Jennifer Hunter, Assistant Director for Family and Consumer Sciences Extension, University of Kentucky  Guest: Dr. Emily Marcinkowski, Surgical Oncologist, UK Markey Cancer Center Special Edition Series – Cancer Conversations Episode 13 In this final episode of Cancer Conversations for 2019, Dr. Jennifer Hunter sits down again with Dr. Emily Marcinkowski to talk about Oncofertility.  While this might not be a term with which you are familiar, the concept of preserving fertility through cancer treatment should be on the minds of any young person (or the parents of any young person) going through treatment for this disease.  Listen and learn. We certainly did! Full episode transcript

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we’re diving into an aspect of breast cancer that’s frequently overlooked. The treatments for cancer (such as chemotherapy, radiation, and other drugs) can put fertility at risk for women in reproductive age. One drug in particular, Tamoxifen, is taken for a number of years and helps treat and prevent breast cancer from developing. You shouldn’t try to conceive while taking Tamoxifen. However, there’s a solution; some can take a “drug holiday” or break from medication. Typically, the break can last up to a year, meaning you shouldn’t try to conceive until a few months after using the drug. That also means there’s only a short window for someone to conceive. People often consider fertility preservation, or egg/embryo freezing because of the risks and time constraints while dealing with cancer. Just in case you don’t have a healthy pregnancy, fertility preservation is often seen as a safety net so you can move forward with an embryo transfer. It’s an important option to have, but unfortunately, not everyone knows about this until it’s too late. Today’s guests, Emily Rich and Ian Schwartz, dive into what it was like for Emily to be diagnosed with breast cancer, their journey with fertility preservation, and how their fertility benefit helped them through this journey. Guests: Emily Rich, VP of Strategic Planning and Operations at UJA and Progyny Member, and Ian Schwartz, VP Tailgate and AE Men’s Graphics at American Eagle Outfitters. Host: Lissa Kline, VP of Member and Provider Services at Progyny.

Mary Lopresti, DO, is a hematologist oncologist with the Lifespan Cancer Institute, where she treats patients who have breast and gynecologic cancers. Most of her patients are younger than 42 years.  Welcome to the ASCO Daily News podcast. I'm Lauren Davis. And joining me today is Dr. Mary Lopresti, a hematologist/oncologist with the Lifespan Cancer Institute, where she treats patients who have breast and gynecologic cancers. Most of her patients are younger than 42 years. Dr. Lopresti, welcome to the podcast. Oh, thank you so much, Lauren, for having me today. We're glad you're here. Today we're talking about issues around fertility and how cancer can present challenges to women who want to be able to get pregnant and grow their families. Because you treat younger patients, at what point in the diagnosis process do you mention fertility options such as egg freezing? Well, we've made it our practice at Lifespan to discuss this at the first touch point with the patient. So our young women who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer will come in to a multidisciplinary clinic, and so they'll need a breast surgeon, medical oncologist, radiation oncologist. And besides from talking about their new diagnosis and management, at that point, we'll also ask them if they plan on growing their family or having another baby or a baby. And at that point, we'll ask them if they would desire fertility preservation. And so we really from day 1 of meeting them will explore that option. What are some of the struggles in helping patients navigate cancer care when they also have to decide whether or not they want to preserve their fertility? I think this biggest struggle is timing, trying to help this woman decide on her breast surgical options, discuss genetic testing. And many of these young women have aggressive breast cancers requiring chemotherapy, so it's the timing of when we give the chemotherapy. And then if we are planning to give chemotherapy, how does fertility fit in? Many times, I think physicians shy away from mentioning fertility because there's a delay in chemotherapy, which is so important. And so we've tried to get that timing down a little bit better by developing an algorithm to get that woman to a fertility specialized in a streamlined manner, and that has helped us navigate these young women a little bit better. What advice do you have for physicians who ideally would mention fertility preservation but sometimes leave it out because of the patient's need to start treatment such as chemotherapy as you mentioned immediately? Well, I think that it's very understandable for an oncologist to feel like they need to leave it out if a young woman has large tumor burden and they're very worried about starting systemic therapy. But yet, I think it's really up to us as physicians to make sure that the patient has informed consent. And ASCO has published guidelines for preservation so that we can help educate our patients on what options that they have. And I think we need to continue to try to do that and put our own worries aside. Are there patients for whom you do not recommend fertility preservation? And how do those conversations go? I'd say in general, no. I think we offer it to anyone who desires to have a pregnancy in the future. Again, there's always a worry in a woman who has an estrogen positive breast cancer, a large tumor, bulky lymph node disease to recommend fertility preservation because the concern has generally been that you could stimulate very high levels of circulating estradiol level with preservation. But now with letrozole, which is an aromatase inhibitor, and tamoxifen, there are ways to decrease the estradiol level and still get mature follicles as well. So I think that we do recommend fertility preservation everyone. And then just moreover on that point is that there was a recent study by Rodriguez-Wallberg and colleagues. It was a Swedish match cohort trial. And so they looked at women undergoing fertility preservation compared it to age match controls, and there was not an increase in the risk of recurrence with fertility preservation. So it's a generally safe and can be done in about a two-week period. That's wonderful. What do you see for the future of cancer care in oncofertility? I think our knowledge will continue to increase as newer drugs come on the market. I think we should all be concerned about fertility because we're not going to know how they affect fertility in the mechanisms there. So I think as physicians, we have to become more educated, and I think we're going to see more physicians talking to their patients. I think we're going to see more patients having access to educational materials or looking on social media for decision trees to help them with fertility preservation. I think we're going to know more about other methods of fertility preservation like ovarian tissue retrieval, which has been largely experimental, but there has been more and more done with that. And then there's pre-implantation genetic testing which is being done. And we're going to be hearing more about that in the future as well. That's exciting. Again, today my guest has been Dr. Mary Lopresti. Thank you for being on our podcast today. Thank you. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to the ASCO Daily News podcast. If you're enjoying the content, we encourage you to rate us and reviews on Apple Podcast.

From artificial baby bags for preemies to 3D printed ovaries – the future of the uterus is here.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in light of this, we are dedicating four episodes to oncofertility – the bridge between oncology and reproductive research that explores and expands options for the reproductive future of cancer survivors.   In the fourth and final episode of our oncofertility series, we hear from Kristin Smith, who dedicated her life to helping educate young cancer patients about their fertility preservation options. As Program Manager for Fertility Preservation at Northwestern Medicine and the Oncofertility Consortium, Kristin helps patients navigate their treatment between their oncology team and their reproductive endocrinology team.   We’ll learn how fertility preservation has evolved over the past decade, how cancer patients are now being offered more preventive options, and how advocates like Kristin are offering individualized support to newly diagnosed patients.   Guest: Kristin Smith, Program Manager for Fertility Preservation at Northwestern Medicine  Experts: Dr. Jennifer Levine, from Alliance for Fertility Preservation and Weill Cornell Medicine, and Dr. Janet Choi from CCRM New York  Host: Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny  For more information, visit Progyny’s Podcast page, Oncofertility Consortium, Alliance for Fertility Preservation and CCRM. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, @ThisisInfertilityPodcast and use the #ThisisInfertility.  Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com.    Host Lissa Kline, LCSW, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny Lissa manages and oversees Progyny’s Patient Care Advocates. Prior to joining Progyny, she worked at Columbia University Medical Center in the division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Involved in Patient Services and the Donor Egg Program, she loved working with patients while they underwent fertility treatment. Lissa graduated with a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.   Guests Kristin Smith, Program Manager for Fertility Preservation at Northwestern Medicine Kristin consults with all young, newly diagnosed oncology patients at Northwestern’s Lurie Cancer Center to help each patient understand their individual fertility risk associated with treatment as well as options for fertility preservation. She works extensively with young adult oncology survivors to help each patient explore their unique family building options and reproductive health post treatment. Kristin helps run the National Physician’s Cooperative of the Oncofertility Consortium by providing support across the country to providers who participate in national fertility preservation studies and also answers the national fertility hotline to triage patients for fertility preservation across the country. Jennifer Levine, MD, MSW, Board Member for Alliance for Fertility Preservation and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine Dr. Jennifer Levine was a Principal Investigator on a study through the children’s oncology group evaluating ovarian reserve in adolescents diagnosed with lymphoma. Levine completed her residency at Yale New Haven Hospital and her fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center/MSCHONY. Janet M. Choi, M.D., board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Medical Director of CCRM New York After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Harvard University with an A.B. in English literature, Dr. Choi earned her medical degree from Columbia University. She remained at Columbia for her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Subsequently, she completed her sub-specialty fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Prior to joining CCRM New York, she was on faculty at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center where she was the director of oncofertility/fertility preservation.

Oncofertility Series – Part 3 of 4. When Megan Connolly was 19, her whole world stopped and she entered a fight against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Cancer threatened not only her life, but a lifelong dream of becoming a mother. In today’s episode we hear how Megan beat cancer (twice!) and with the help of patient navigator Kristin Smith of the Oncofertility Consortium, preserved her fertility. Today’s host is Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny.

Oncofertility Series – Part 2 of 4. When Amanda Rice was diagnosed with breast cancer her doctors recommended an aggressive treatment protocol that would potentially threaten her fertility. She had some infertility health insurance but when she called the insurance company she found that they had illogical barriers that excluded her from coverage for fertility preservation. Now, a cancer survivor, Amanda has created Chick Mission, a non-profit organization relentlessly focused on critical issues unique to cancer patients – including fertility challenges that may follow after surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and drug treatment. Today’s host is Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny. Guests include: Amanda Rice from Chick Mission, Dr. Jennifer Levine from Alliance of Fertility Preservation and Weill Cornell Medicine, and Dr. Thomas Molinaro from RMA of NJ. For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page: http://www.progyny.com/podcast Chick Mission: https://www.thechickmission.org Alliance for Fertility Preservation: http://allianceforfertilitypreservation.org RMA of NJ: https://rmanj.com Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com

Oncofertility Series – Part 1 of 4. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we are dedicating four episodes to oncofertility – the subfield of medicine that bridges oncology and reproductive research to explore and expand options for the reproductive future of cancer survivors. In today’s episode, we hear from Joyce Reinecke, who survived cancer, preserved her fertility, and is now dedicated to helping others do the same through her work with the Alliance for Fertility Preservation. Today’s host is Lissa Kline, VP of Provider and Member Services at Progyny. Guests: Joyce Reinecke of the Alliance for Fertility Preservation For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page: http://www.progyny.com/podcast or the Alliance for Fertility Preservation: http://www.allianceforfertilitypreservation.org Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com

In this episode Dr. Jillian Kurtz walks us through the methods and rationale behind fertility preservation for patients with cancer or undergoing transgender procedures.

(Just by happenstance, this conversation ended up taking place on National Infertility Awareness Week. What perfect timing! I'm so excited to share this episode with y'all about an amazing organization working to preserve fertility among cancer survivors.) When I was in grad school for journalism at Northwestern University in 2009 (whoa — that's been a while), I focused on Health & Science writing and learned about the Oncofertility Consortium while working on an article. I was immediately interested in the […] The post curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Episode 12 (Learning About Fertility After Cancer With Kristin Smith Of The Oncofertility Consortium) appeared first on curiouser & curiouser.

In BONUS Episode 130 of Beat Infertility, we interview Dr. Allison Rodgers about elective fertility preservation and oncofertility. Infertility coach Heather Huhman helps warriors like you make scientifically-based, well-informed decisions about your next steps. To schedule your free 30-minute call, go to https://beatinfertility.co/hope.

In BONUS Episode 130 of Beat Infertility, we interview Dr. Allison Rodgers about elective fertility preservation and oncofertility. If you need additional support, consider joining Hope University or our Infertility Warrior Tribe. For details on both, please visit https://beatinfertility.co/hopeu.

Oncofertility is a fairly new field of cancer medicine dedicated to helping patients preserve their ability to have children. MD Anderson oncofertility experts Deborah Holman and Donna Bell explain their proactive approach to counseling men, women, and the parents of children with cancer on saving their fertility before treatment begins.

Fertility rights are THE hot button topic of the year for young adults facing cancer. Research published by our guests (Marla Clayman, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and Gwen Quinn, Ph.D, Professor at the USF College of Medicine) shows shamefully low adoption of fertility navigation services across US cancer centers.Julia Wagner in the survivor spotlight.  

Fertility rights are THE hot button topic of the year for young adults facing cancer. Research published by our guests (Marla Clayman, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and Gwen Quinn, Ph.D, Professor at the USF College of Medicine) shows shamefully low adoption of fertility navigation services across US cancer centers.Julia Wagner in the survivor spotlight.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For the August 20 How On Earth show we offer two features: Kepler Spacecraft's Uncertain Future: (start time 5:48) Are we alone in the cosmos? Are there other planets out there, and could some of them support life?  Or, is Earth somehow unique in its ability to support life?  The Kepler mission was designed to start addressing that question by searching for planets around other stars.  Since its launch in March 2009, the Kepler spacecraft has discovered many diverse candidate planets around other stars, but recently the spacecraft has run into some technical problems.  Dr. Steve Howell from NASA's Ames Research Center talks with co-host Joel Parker about Kepler's past, present and future. Cancer's Impact on Fertility: (start time 14:52) It’s tough enough to receive a cancer diagnosis. For many patients, an added insult is that chemotherapy treatments can render them infertile.  However, there are many options for cancer patients who want to have children, or more children – both men and women. A key problem has been that many of them aren’t educated by oncologists about their fertility options and they jump right into drug treatments. Dr. Laxmi Kondapalli, an assistant professor of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of Colorado Denver and head of the CU Cancer Center's Oncofertility Program, talks with co-host Susan Moran about the medical science of take cancer therapies and the latest in fertility-preservation options. Hosts: Susan Moran, Joel Parker Producer: Susan Moran Additional Contributions: Shelley Schlender Engineer: Joel Parker Executive Producer: Susan Moran Listen to the show:

The conference covers multiple aspects of HBOC syndrome including the importance of genetic testing and how to discuss genetic testing results with family members, management of breast and ovarian cancers in patients with HBOC syndrome, and breast reconstructive surgery and cancer nutrition.

Join us as we welcome activist and award-winning actor Gabrielle Union who will share with us her efforts making a difference as a breast cancer advocate. Then we tackle the hard hitting issue of fertility rights and surrogacy options for young adults affected by cancer with John Weltman, President and Founder of Circle Surrogacy, one of the oldest and largest surrogate agencies around. He will be joined by ovarian cancer survivor Jen Rachman (a recipient surrogate parent) and breast cancer survivor/activist Alice Crisci (Founder, Fertile Future).

Join us as we welcome activist and award-winning actor Gabrielle Union who will share with us her efforts making a difference as a breast cancer advocate. Then we tackle the hard hitting issue of fertility rights and surrogacy options for young adults affected by cancer with John Weltman, President and Founder of Circle Surrogacy, one of the oldest and largest surrogate agencies around. He will be joined by ovarian cancer survivor Jen Rachman (a recipient surrogate parent) and breast cancer survivor/activist Alice Crisci (Founder, Fertile Future). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT CALEB EGWUENU Young Adult Cancer Advocate in Africa Founder/President Stand Up 2 Cancer Naija LEONARD SENDER, MD Chairman, i[2]y Clinical Professor of Medicine Director, Oncology Services CHAO Comprehensive Cancer Center KAREN ALBRITTON, MD Director, AYA Oncology University of North Texas Cook Children's Hospital TERESA WOODRUFF, Ph.D Thomas J. Watkins Professor of OB/GYN Director/Founder The Oncofertility Consortium Northwestern University

SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT CALEB EGWUENU Young Adult Cancer Advocate in Africa Founder/President Stand Up 2 Cancer Naija LEONARD SENDER, MD Chairman, i[2]y Clinical Professor of Medicine Director, Oncology Services CHAO Comprehensive Cancer Center KAREN ALBRITTON, MD Director, AYA Oncology University of North Texas Cook Children's Hospital TERESA WOODRUFF, Ph.D Thomas J. Watkins Professor of OB/GYN Director/Founder The Oncofertility Consortium Northwestern University See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT ERIC ANTHONY GALVEZ Young Adult Survivor, Brain Cancer Founder, MassKickers Author, Reversal JOANNA MORALES, ESQ Director, Cancer Legal Resource Center Adjunct Professor of Law Loyola Law School REBECCA NELLIS Director of Programs Cancer and Careers CEW Foundation LAURA MOSIELLO Director of Women's Cancers CancerCare

SURVIVOR SPOTLIGHT ERIC ANTHONY GALVEZ Young Adult Survivor, Brain Cancer Founder, MassKickers Author, Reversal JOANNA MORALES, ESQ Director, Cancer Legal Resource Center Adjunct Professor of Law Loyola Law School REBECCA NELLIS Director of Programs Cancer and Careers CEW Foundation LAURA MOSIELLO Director of Women's Cancers CancerCare See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guest: Laurie Zoloth, PhD Host: Maurice Pickard, MD The preservation of female cancer patients' fertility after treatment is a new area of concern for researchers, clinicians, and patients. Dr. Laurie Zoloth, professor of medical humanities, bioethics, Jewish studies and religion and also director of the Northwestern University Center for Bioethics, Science and Society, talks with host Dr. Maurice Pickard about broad issues of reproduction, as well as breakthroughs in the lab and how clinicians can handle treatment discussions when they're compounded by the topic of fertility.