The Oncofertility Consortium is happy to announce the translation of Repropedia into Portuguese. Repropedia is a reproductive dictionary created by an international team of scientists and clinicians led by investigators at Northwestern University. This site provides information on common reproductive science…
The Oncofertility Consortium is pleased to welcome Dr. Jennifer Hirshfeld-Cytron as a guest blogger today.
This is a blog post based on the article, Toward theoretical understanding of the fertility preservation decision-making process: examining information processing among young women with cancer by authors P.E.…
Pain from inflammation may greatly reduce sexual motivation. The direct impact of pain on sexual behavior was studied, possibly for the first time in any species, and reported by researchers in Canada. They found that pain due to inflammation greatly reduced…
It’s 2014 and women are still getting paid less than men in the workforce. While we’re all aware that this is happening, what’s less clear is why it’s happening. Earlier this month, some politicians voted down the equal pay bill by…
Yesterday, the Huffington Post published an article outlining states that are ‘Fertility-Friendly’. The article, ‘State-By-State ‘Fertility Friendliness’ Ranking Show Wide Range’ was written by Resolve: The National Infertility Association in partnership with EMD Serono Inc., a biotech drug company that makes…
Depression, especially in pregnancy, is a sensitive subject. It impacts the woman, her child and her family and it affects between 14 and 23% women during pregnancy. Because of hormonal changes during pregnancy, a woman may not realize she is suffering…
Most women think menopause means low estrogen, hot flashes, and the end to regular and monthly periods. This may not be the case, however. Researchers have found that women may experience an increase in the amount and duration of bleeding, which…
Today, FDA issued a safety communication discouraging the use of laparoscopic power morcellation for the removal of the uterus (hysterectomy) or uterine fibroids (myomectomy) in women. This type of procedure poses a risk of spreading unsuspected cancerous tissue, notably uterine sarcomas,…
Chapter 14 of Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines addresses an extremely important issue in healthcare, insurance coverage. The authors, Dr. Laxmi Kondapalli and Alice Crisci, wrote Incorporating Insurance Education into the Fertility Preservation Process to outline strategies…
A surprising new strategy for managing your weight? Bright morning light!! A new Northwestern Medicine® study reports the timing, intensity and duration of your light exposure during the day is linked to your weight — the first time this has been…
Loss of bladder control, or urinary incontinence, is a problem that millions of women face. The involuntary loss of urine can range in presentation; it can be minimal, from a few drops when you laugh, exercise, or cough. Or, it can…
Women continue to be underrepresented in senior roles in the sciences and in the corporate world. According to data from the NSF, there are nearly 5.4 million men and women employed as scientists and engineers in the United States, but women…
Dental health is often overlooked or thought of once a year in our annual cleaning in the dentist’s office. But practicing good oral care can save you expensive dental repair procedures down the road! Three simple steps can help you keep…
The increased risk of death associated with alcohol intake is not the same for men and women. A study that compared the amount of alcohol consumed and death from all causes among nearly 2.5 million women and men showed that the…
Drinking milk is not just for kids but also for post-menopausal women, new research shows. A new study from the Women’s Health Initiative just published by the North American Menopause Society, reveals that calcium and vitamin D after menopause can improve…
Prentice Women’s Hospital: Under the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chicago, was recently named one of the top ten women’s health providers by HealthCare Global Magazine. It was noted that the hospital provides a wide variety of services and specialized care…
Recently, Mashable featured Jenna Benn in a wonderful article: Wedding, Career, Chemo: When Cancer Derails the Millennial Dream. Jenna Benn is a patient of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at and a wonderful friend and supporter of the Oncofertility…
In early February, the American Heart Association published new guidelines aimed at preventing stroke in women. Due to several factors, women are more prone to stroke and generally have more difficulty recovering from stroke than men. A stroke occurs when a…
Today, we are honored to have another patient guest blogger; long-term survivor Colleen Cira. Read through her incredible story below and join the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center this evening, March 25, from 5-8pm for “Drinks with Docs (& Healthcare…
The number of menopausal women is projected to reach 50 million by 2020. With changing views on appropriate therapies to control symptoms and new treatments available and on the horizon, most internists lack the core competencies and experience to meet the…
On April 9, 2014, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center will host a “Night of Humor & Healing” for young adult cancer survivors ages 16-40 years old at the famed Second City Theater. The evening will include dinner, drinks, networking,…
Be Careful With Contact Lenses
Spring break often means heading to sand and surf!. We hear a lot about sun exposure, staying hydrated and avoiding too much alcohol but is it OK to wear your contacts while in the hot tub or…
Educating Providers on Evidence-Based Medical Guidelines is a chapter of Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines where the authors, Lauren N.C. Johnson and Dr. Clarisa R. Gracia, outline previous medical paradigms and how they have changed to incorporate new…
U.S. News & World Report recently released the 2015 rankings of top medical schools, and we’re proud to announce that the Women’s Health program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is now ranked #10 (up one spot from #11 in…
Acupuncture has been used in Eastern countries to address women’s health issues but is not readily adopted in the U.S. especially by the medical establishment. A new study reports preliminary data indicating that acupuncture may improve menstrual health and overcome…
Melissa Simon, MD, and member of the Women’s Health Research Institute’s Leadership Council wrote a powerful opinion piece about the language and socio-economic barriers in health care. Dr. Simon cites a recent case involving 16-year-old Ethan Couch’s lenient sentence for his…
Today we welcome Dr. So-Youn Kim from Dr. Woodruff’s Lab at Northwestern University as our guest blogger. Dr. Kim will review a recent article published by Dr. John C. Schimenti in Science 2014.
ONE MORE STEP TOWARDS PRESERVING OOCYTE RESERVE
By: So-Youn Kim,…
President Obama was right in his recent State of the Union address to call it an “embarrassment” that women are paid only 77 cents compared to men in 2014.
It’s possible, but we have a long way to go and we can’t…
Most of us get headaches from time to time. Some are mild. Others cause throbbing pain. They can last for minutes or days. There are many different types of headaches. How you treat yours depends on which kind you have.
Headaches might…
We live in a digital age where more information is available at our fingertips than ever before. We now have access to information in a matter of seconds that used to take weeks to locate through time intensive literature reviews at…
New research proves yet another reason for women to quit smoking: smoking may cause earlier signs of menopause. Heavier smokers may enter menopause up to nine years earlier compared to nonsmokers.
In the United States, the average age for menopause is 51.…
Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Bridges across Disciplines is divided into two parts. Part I is Communicating with Patients and Their Families and outlined in Chapters 1-10. Part II, Communicating with Healthcare Professionals, Stakeholders and the Public starts with Chapter…
Vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) or atrophic vaginitis is a medical challenge because it is under-reported by women, under-recognized by health-care providers and, therefore, under-treated according to a new study out of Italy. More or less 50% of postmenopausal women experience vaginal discomfort…
Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines devoted an entire chapter to the communication strategies and issues faced by oncology providers. Chapter 10 is entitled Fertility Communication to Cancer Patients: A Hematologist-Oncologist’s Perspective and is authored by Sara Barnato…
Tomorrow, February 15, 2014, is International Childhood Cancer Day. A day devoted to the strength, courage and resiliency of children with cancer and their families. The International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) and the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organizations…
With the recent controversy surrounding Rachel Frederickson’s extreme weight loss on The Biggest Loser, it’s time to shed light on the proper (and safe) way to lose weight. For those unfamiliar with reality television, The Biggest Loser centers around overweight contestants…
A recent report in Fertility & Sterility has indicated that among women between the ages of 18 and 40, there is a significant amount of misconception regarding fertility and becoming pregnant. Dr. Illuzzi, an OB/GYN at Yale University School of Medicine,…
In the late 1800′s there was a growing interest among women in sport, especially cycling, actually leading to some modification in clothing (bloomers!). However, then and even now, there is an undercurrent of discrimination in sport. For example, 19th and 20th…
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This Thursday, February 13th at 10am Central Time, the Oncofertility Consortium is proud to host our next Virtual Grand Rounds. This presentation will be given by Dr. Robert E. Branningan and focus on Fertility Preservation in the Male: Optimizing the Delivery of Care.…
60 Minutes’ Sunday feature “Sex Matters: Drugs Can Affect Sexes Differently” put a huge splash in the medical drug industry! Consulting researchers from Northwestern University, the University California Irvine, and the Food and Drug Administration (among others), reporters at CBS News…
The next chapter in Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines addresses Disparities in Adolescent Patient-Provider Communication Regarding Fertility. The authors, Amanda B. Fuchs and Dr. Robert E. Brannigan, provide detailed information regarding the disparities between providers and their…
Dr. Teresa Woodruff of the Women’s Health Research Institute has been a consistent voice advocating for sex-based research. Recently, Dr. Woodruff consulted with CBS on an upcoming feature to shed light on the importance of sex as a research variable—due to…
The American College of Emergency Physicians recently found an increase in children requiring medical intervention in states that have decriminalized marijuana. The call rate in theses states have increased by more than 30% per year between 2005 and 2011, while the…
If you live in a northern climate, winter increases your risk of the flu, head colds, and respiratory illnesses. These are somewhat expected. But winter also brings some less considered infections that you may get if you are lucky enough to…
New long-term research shows that hot flashes continue, on average, for five years after menopause. More than a third of women can experience hot flashes for up to ten or more years after menopause.
A recent study evaluated 255 women in the…
If you’re not already aware, today is World Cancer Day. World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration which calls upon government leaders and health policy-makers to…
The first ever Recommendations for Diagnosing TMD have been published with support from NIH. Despite a prevalence rate of 2:1 women to men, there was no mention of the sex differences for TMD in the abstract, NIH press release or accompanying…
We’re jumping back into the chapter reviews of Oncofertility Communication: Sharing Information and Building Relationships across Disciplines. Today, we’re reviewing Chapter 8, Communicating Oncofertility to Children: A Developmental Perspective for Teaching Health Messages by Dr. Ellen Wartella, Dr. Alexis Lauricella and…
Many people don’t realize that the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can continue into adulthood as a form of adult ADHD. Adult ADHD can only result from a pre-existing diagnosis of childhood ADHD—meaning, one is only susceptible to adult…
This month marks the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the pivotal case where the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion. Many see this decision as both a political and religious issue, while others view this as the right for women to…
Men and Women are physiologically different, and it is essential to ensure adequate participation of both sexes in research studies in order to determine sex-based differences in disease presentation, prevalence, and treatment. A press release from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Publishers…
Everyone wrinkles at the same rate and there’s not really much we can do to prevent it, right? Wrong. There are certain habits that can help you avoid premature wrinkles, making your skin look younger (and healthier) longer. Tanning is one…
Every year there are roughly 137 million births globally. Of these, about 10% may result in serious complications. Tragically, approximately 5.6 million babies are stillborn or pass away soon after, and around 260,000 women pass away every year in childbirth. These…
Swedish doctors are attempting an innovative surgery to give womb-less women the opportunity to give birth to their own children. Nine women in Sweden have received womb transplants and doctors intend to help these women (through in-vitro fertilization) become pregnant and…
The Oncofertility Consortium is happy to welcome the Portuguese Center for Fertility Preservation as a Global Partner. We currently work with reproductive specialists from all over the world in an effort to better serve children, adolescents and young adults with cancer and other fertility-threatening…
In the January of 1964, the Surgeon General made its first report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer. Yesterday, the CDC announced a new triumph in the war against lung cancer by announcing that the rate of new lung cancer cases…
Below is a guest post from Luke Tripodi on the importance of family during his cancer journey. We thank him for taking the time to guest post and wish him continued health!
By Luke Tripodi
My story starts off the same way so…
At this point, Chicagoans are celebrating the end of the Polar Vortex, which caused temperatures as low as -40 degrees (with the wind-chill) in our windy city. But, extreme shifts in temperatures can mean extreme health concerns to be aware of.…
From perimenopause through postmenopause, the most common symptoms include irregular menstruation, hot flashes, and night sweats. Every woman will experience these menopausal symptoms differently. However, research shows that women who survive cancer, in particular, have more frequent, severe, and bothersome hot…
Do hormone levels in postmenopausal women affect cognitive function? New research sheds light on the postmenopausal brain.
In a recently published study, researchers found that estrogen levels after menopause may have no impact on cognitive skills, but progesterone levels might. Progesterone had…