Every year, more than 135,000 young people are diagnosed with cancer in the US. Seventy-seven percent of cancer patients under age 45 survive more than 5 years and quality-of-life is important to survivors, their clinicians, and their communities. The Oncofertility Consortium was founded in 2007 to advance reproductive research and fertility preservation care for cancer survivors.
The Oncofertility Consortium formed a community of professionals in reproductive medicine, reproductive health research, oncology, biomechanics, materials science, mathematics, social science, bioethics, religion, policy research and educational sciences to expand current knowledge, research, clinical practice, and training for a wide spectrum of issues including:
- Mechanisms underlying the fertility threat of life-preserving cancer drugs.
- Methods for cryopreservation (freezing), storing and growing ovarian and gonadal tissue.
- In vitro follicle growth and oocyte maturation using a three-dimensional environment.
- Communication barriers between cancer patients and health care providers.
- Ethical and legal concerns regarding the use of fertility preservation technologies in cancer patients.
- And more...
This project was funded by the National Institutes of Health Roadmap for Medical Research, grants 5UL1DE01957, RL1HD058293, RL1D058294, RL1HD058295, RL1HD058296, PL1EB008542, PL1CA133835, RL5CA133836, TL1CA133837/RL9CA133838, and KL1CA133839.