Fertility Preservation for Cancer Patients Gets a Boost in the Bay

SAN RAMON, Calif., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- In efforts to increase awareness of fertility preservation options for cancer patients whose treatment may jeopardize their future fertility, Reproductive Science Center of the San Francisco Bay Area (RSC) created the Sharing Hope Program in partnership with Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG Foundation.

The cancer survivor and champion cyclist created the foundation in 1997 to provide reproductive information, emotional, and financial resources to cancer patients and survivors whose treatments present the risk of infertility.

RSC's Sharing Hope Program offers an extensive educational web portal about fertility preservation options that include techniques offered at RSC, such as egg, embryo, and sperm freezing (cryopreservation). The program also helps educate patients about risks to fertility that can result from chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, and presents hopeful options for parenthood before and after cancer treatment, offers news on research and treatment, and financing.

"Cancer diagnosis and treatment is stressful enough for patients, then adding fertility planning on top of that can be overwhelming. Sharing Hope will help ease patient confusion and direct them to the best fertility preservation services, as well as financing for techniques not often covered by insurance," said Mary Hinckley, M.D, RSC reproductive endocrinologist.

Researchers found that fewer than 25 percent of oncologists inform their patients about fertility preservation and less than 60 percent of patients received fertility information after cancer treatment.

Cancer treatments are designed to kill rapidly dividing cells throughout the body, while leaving other cells intact. Cancer cells divide rapidly, but so do egg and sperm cells, often resulting in infertility.

Reproductive Science Center

Established in 1983, RSC was one of the earliest IVF practices in the country and was among the first to report a successful pregnancy from an egg donor. RSC was responsible for the nation's second successful transfer of a frozen embryo into a mother's uterus. RSC's staff of six infertility physicians maintains clinics in San Ramon, Orinda, San Jose, and Modesto. RSC is a member IntegraMed. For more information, visit www.rscbayarea.com.

SOURCE Reproductive Science Center of the San Francisco Bay Area