Only half of young women with cancer are referred to a gynaecologist for a discussion about preserving her fertility, for example by freezing eggs. This care leads to a better quality of life and less choice stress and regret, according to research by Radboudumc. The situation can be improved through a decision aid for patients, training for care providers, more awareness and clear agreements, according to researchers from the Nijmegen hospital.
–
Women of reproductive age with cancer can lose their fertility due to treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery on the reproductive organs. They often want to have the opportunity to have children in the future, once they have recovered from cancer. For example, a gynecologist can often freeze eggs or move the ovaries before starting cancer treatments, so that fertility is preserved. But by no means all women receive information about these options. Only half of the women are referred to a gynaecologist for this.
Women who do receive this care have a higher quality of life, less stress and less regret after their recovery from cancer. Even if they did not opt for a treatment to preserve fertility.
According to gynecologist Ina Beerendonk, many young women with cancer do not receive this care partly because of a lack of knowledge and awareness about this subject. Other reasons are time, logistics and attitude and lack of clarity about who is responsible.
Decision aid
The Radboudumc research team makes concrete recommendations for improving fertility care for young women with cancer. This is how they developed a online decision aid, which supports women in their decision-making. This decision aid has been developed for 23 different types of cancer, because both the disorders and the associated treatments have different effects on fertility.
Awareness
A second recommendation is the deployment of specialized nurses in the reproductive medicine department. They form a permanent point of contact during the fertility process in cancer, so that a patient sees fewer different faces. This form of care is available in most IVF clinics. The researchers believe it would be good if all centers had one or two nurses who would specialize in this subject.
Finally, the researchers mention the importance of awareness and clarity about responsibilities. Beerendonk: “We would like fertility care for cancer to receive more attention and to become part of the care process. We can achieve this by, for example, a reminder in electronic patient files. In addition, fertility must be a permanent item on the agenda of the multidisciplinary oncology consultation. have agreements about who informs the young women and who refers them. This subject deserves a permanent place in health care.”
By: National Care Guide
–
