Preservation of fertility is an integral component to providing comprehensive, supportive care to adolescents and young adults with cancer.
Infertility is a significant risk factor to conventional cancer treatments such as total-body irradiation and chemotherapy. These therapies can lead to acute ovarian failure and premature menopause in women, and temporary or permanent azoospermia in men (Levine, Canada, & Stern 2010). Fertility preservation is available to patients through, chiefly, sperm banking for men and embryonic or oocyte cryopreservation in women. However, due to barriers in the delivery and coordination of care among health care providers, AYA patients’ access to fertility-preserving technologies is often threatened (Johnson, 2016).
Research indicates that AYA survivors often report they were not informed of their risks of infertility from their healthcare team at time of diagnosis (Levine et al., 2010). Consequently, and in comparison to older adult cancer patients and young cancer patients, AYA survivors are at great risk for compromised quality of life when faced with the potential likelihood of infertility (Benedict, Thom, & Kelvin 2016).
Social workers play an integral role on the medical care team when addressing psychosocial concerns such as compromised fertility. Specifically, social workers are poised to impact clinical care and institutional policy. Both of us have shaped onco-fertility practices at our respective institutions.
Consider joining the AYA SIG to learn more about how to enhance onco-fertility care practices at your institution. Participation in this SIG could broaden your knowledge of the overall unique psychosocial issues of adolescent and young adults with cancer, of which fertility is primary.
