If you and your partner are thinking about having children after his or her treatment for cancer, talk with the oncology physician as soon as possible. Sometimes radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and certain surgeries can cause infertility for both men and women.
To be successful, it is often crucial that steps are taken before cancer treatment for most kinds of alternative fertility options for cancer patients, such as sperm-banking or harvesting eggs. New options are also available, particularly for women, such as preservation of ovarian tissue removed before treatment which can later be implanted into the body after cancer therapy is finished.
Eggs are then harvested and fertilized, with the hope of creating embryos. State-of-the-art research is being conducted assessing methods of preserving fertility among cancer survivors at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility in New York City.
In addition to exploring the medical and technology options, also be sure to investigate insurance coverage and the costs associated with such fertility treatments.
There are now organizations advocating for better insurance coverage and possible financial assistance to young adult cancer patients for fertility treatments, such as Fertile Hope.