Fertility Preservation Before Cancer Treatment: Options, Strategies, and Resources

Background: Loss of fertility is one of the many potential late effects of cancer treatment. For young men and women who have not yet started or completed building their families, this can be a source of considerable emotional distress. Advances in reproductive technology can enable many of these patients to preserve their fertility; however, discussions must be initiated early enough during treatment planning to enable them to take advantage of these options.

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to provide oncology nurses with information, strategies, and resources to discuss fertility with men and women starting cancer treatment.

Methods: This article summarizes the literature on treatment-related fertility risks and fertility preservation options, and provides a systematic framework for nurses to integrate these discussions into practice.

Findings: Oncology nurses can effectively collaborate with other members of the healthcare team to ensure that young men and women starting cancer treatment are informed of the potential risks to fertility from their planned treatment, understand options to preserve fertility before treatment, and, if interested, are referred to appropriate reproductive specialists.