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Notable Publications

Here are some new and notable publications from the field: 

In vitro maturation of human immature oocytes for fertility preservation and research material
H Shirasawa, Y Terada - Reproductive Medicine and Biology, 2017
In recent years, the importance of fertility preservation (FP) has increased. In vitro maturation (IVM), an important technique in FP, has started to be used in the clinic, but controversies persist regarding this technique. Here, a survey of IVM for FP is provided. 

Original Article

First State to Cover Fertility Preservation

On June 20th, Connecticut passed bill HB 7124 which provides coverage of cryopreservation of eggs, sperm, or embryo for all patients facing a threat to fertility.  More specifically, the new law amends the definition of infertility and is extended to include those whom fertility services are medically necessary. 

ASRM sent out the following press release regarding this decision:

Statement of Richard J. Paulson, MD
President, American Society for Reproductive Medicine

Original Article

Fellow Education Day

The Oncofertility Consortium is excited to host its second annual Fellow Education Day during the 2017 Oncofertility Conference! This day-long course will be held on November 14 and will consist of four traditional lectures and two team-based learning exercises. The purpose of this course is to educate fellows on fertility preservation and survivorship care for cancer patients across the reproductive life cycle.  This course is primarily targeted towards first and second year fellows in the specialties of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Andrology and Male Infertility, as well as Pediatric and Adult Hematology/Oncology.  Residents in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Urology, or Internal Medicine with a particular interest in oncofertility are also welcome to attend. 

Original Article

June VGR

Dr. Ralph Kazer delivered June's VGR "Fertility Preservation Strategies for Women About to Undergo Chemotherapy or Radiation Therapy" and this talk is now available online. Dr. Kazer is a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. During his talk, Dr. Kazer discussed fertility preservation in women and offered advice for handling challenges, including having difficult conversations with newly diagnosed patients. Dr. Kazer suggested these consultations be short and concise to avoid information overload for the patient. He also presented his most frequently asked questions and provided his answers to these difficult questions. Thank you to Dr. Kazer for his excellent presentation. To view this presentation in its entirety, click here. 

Original Article

Global Partners Commentary

Members of the Global Partners Network recently published a commentary in the Biology of Reproduction. Below is more information from first author Saskia de Roo, who spent last year studying at the Consortium. 

Let me first introduce myself, I am Saskia de Roo, and I graduated last January from medical school in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. From April 4th until July 1st 2016 , I worked at the Northwestern University, Oncofertility Consortium as part of my research internship during medical school. Just a couple of weeks ago, my article was published, which I’ve been working on ever since my research internship. I had the best time of my life in Chicago and I am very grateful for the chance and opportunity Dr. Woodruff gave me. She is absolutely a pioneer for women’s health and it was a great pleasure to work with everyone at the Oncofertility Consortium.

Original Article

May VGR Now Online

The May VGR, delivered by Dr. Angela Lawson, is now available online. Dr. Lawson's talk Balancing Hope and Loss: Psychological Aspects of Gamete Cryopreservation in Cancer Patients explored the psychological aspects of infertility and oncofertility and she discussed her approach to counseling these patients. There were a number of engaging questions at the end of the presentation, which created an exciting dialogue between Drs. Lawson and Woodruff. To view this presentation in its entirety, click here. 

For more information about the Virtual Grand Rounds and to get the complete 2017-2018 series schedule, click here. 

Original Article

World Lupus Day 2017

Wednesday, May 10th was World Lupus Day and the Oncofertility Consortium would like to take the time to highlight the fertility needs of young women with lupus and the Northwestern treatment team that manages the disease and the fertility/endocrine needs of our patients.  

Original Article

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