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The physicians and
staff at the South Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine
understands that time is of the essence as you are fighting to survive.
We know that when patients are about to start a chemotherapy or
radiation regimen, fertility preservations is not a primary
consideration. Chemotherapy or radiation can damage sperm and eggs, but
the degree of damage can be hard to predict. Understanding all your
options in a timely manner is important and making an informed decision
will assist you in planning for your future.
For women, one marker
of decreased fertility potential after cancer treatment is the loss of
menstrual cycles, or premature menopause. However, some women who still
have menstrual cycles after their cancer treatments may have "diminished
ovarian reserve", which means that the ovaries were damaged by
treatment, but there is some ovarian function remaining. Patients with
"diminished ovarian reserve" may have difficulty conceiving, either on
their own, or with Assisted Reproductive Therapies (ART).
For men, either the
cancer itself or the cancer treatments can cause infertility. Specific
cancers that can damage the testis include testicular cancer and
Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Post-treatment sperm counts can be considered either
normal, low, or completely absent.
Depending on your type of cancer and treatment plans, several options
for fertility preservation may be available to you. For complete
details, please schedule an appointment with one of our physicians.
Inform the appointment coordinator that you are scheduling a fertility
preservation appointment for “medical reasons”. We understand you are
delaying your treatment plan to obtain further details on fertility
preservation. Our team of fertility specialist will work with your
oncologist in a time sensitive manner to find the best course of
treatment. We will provide a scheduled appointment within 48 hours of
your request and the physician will review all of your options with you
in detail at that appointment. You may want to review livestrong.com
website for more information regarding treatment options for
women
and for
men.
Financial assistance may be available to you
as most fertility treatments are not covered by insurance. Our pricing
for medical reasons thru the Livestrong foundation is extremely
affordable. |