We’re exited to continue our new blog series to spotlight National Physicians Cooperative member institutions! If your institution is a member of the NPC, submit your information to us for development of an institution-specific page on the Oncofertility Consortium website, as well as a blog post, to oncofertility@northwestern.edu. If you are interested in learning more about how to join the NPC, contact Brigid Smith at brigid.smith@northwestern.edu or (312)503-2506.
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Today, improved treatments of cancer and other diseases give patients the hope of long term survival. However, many of the treatments that increase survival may cause loss of fertility. New technologies in reproductive medicine are providing possibilities for preserving fertility.
Lurie Children’s is dedicated to working with families, patients and healthcare providers to guide them in deciding if fertility preservation is appropriate for their child.
As a member of the National Physicians Cooperative of the Oncofertility Consortium, Lurie Children’s Fertility Preservation Program offers services to pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients. This consortium of fertility experts, oncologists, surgeons, urologists, endocrinologists and researchers are working together to provide fertility preservation options to patients who are seeking to preserve fertility due to cancer treatment, surgery, or a congenital condition.
Fertility preservation options
We have a comprehensive range of services for pre- and post-pubertal patients. These include:
For Males
Testis shielding
Sperm cryopreservation
Testicular sperm extraction (TESE)
Testicular tissue freezing (experimental)
For Females
Ovarian shielding
Oophoropexy/ovarian transposition
Oocyte or embryo freezing
Ovarian tissue freezing (experimental)
Gonadotropin analogues (experimental)
The treatment team will work with you to determine the best options to suit your needs.
Each patient is unique, so fertility preservation must be tailored and carefully integrated with a patient’s treatment. Appropriate fertility preservation options depend on the age of the patient, as well as the treatment the patient is to receive. If treatment has been completed and there is a concern about the patient’s ability to have children, families are encouraged to seek a consultation with a fertility expert.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact:
Barbara Lockart, DNP, APN/CNP, CPON, at Lurie Children’s at
312.227.4901.
oncofertility@luriechildrens.org
Multidisciplinary team of specialists
Our multidisciplinary team works together to ensure that every patient receives the best fertility preservation care available. This team consists of:
Oncology
Yasmin Gosiengfiao, MD
Attending Physician, Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Barbara Lockart, DNP, APN/CNP, CPON
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Hematology/Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant; Patient Navigator for Fertility Preservation, Lurie Children’s Hospital
Pediatric Surgery
Marleta Reynolds, MD
Head, Pediatric Surgery; Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Erin Rowell, MD
Attending Physician, Pediatric Surgery; Assistant Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Endocrinology
Wendy Brickman, MD
Attending Physician, Endocrinology; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Courtney Finlayson, MD
Attending Physician, Endocrinology; Instructor in Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Jill Samis, MD
Attending Physician, Endocrinology, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Reema Habiby, MD
Attending Physician, Endocrinology; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Urology
Earl Cheng, MD
Division Head, Urology; Professor of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Robert Brannigan, MD
Attending Physician, Urology,Northwestern Medicine; Professor of Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Emilie Johnson, MD, MPH
Attending Physician, Urology; Assistant Professor of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Elizabeth Yerkes, MD
Attending Physician, Urology; Associate Professor of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Valerie Gillis, MMS, PA-C
Physician Assistant, Urology; Northwestern Medicine
Obstetrics and Gynecology/Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
Mary Ellen Pavone, MD,
Attending Physician, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility; Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Kristin Smith
Patient Navigator for Fertility Preservation, Northwestern Medicine/Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
Research
Teresa Woodruff, PhD
Thomas J Watkins Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Feinberg School of Medicine; Chief of the Division of Fertility Preservation and Oncofertility Consortium