Increasingly, men and women with cancer are surviving their disease. According to surveys by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is estimated that 1 of every 250 adults in the U.S. are survivors of childhood cancer. Additionally, over 120,000 women are diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 20 and 45 when reproductive potential is at its peak each year in the U.S.

The UCSF Fertility Preservation Program’s team of experienced and compassionate health care professionals is focused on quickly providing you with the information you need so that you are fully informed of your fertility preservation options prior to cancer treatment. As a university-based program with a dedicated medical team that are at the forefront in preserving fertility along with one of the most highly-respected certified embryology laboratories in the nation, we are uniquely qualified to offer you the latest treatments in fertility preservation that offer you hope and safeguard your fertility so you can build a family when you are ready.

Hallmarks of our comprehensive program include specialized training, compassionate support and individualized quality care. We offer a multidisciplinary approach that combines the expertise of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists who have sub-specialized in fertility preservation for cancer patients, a certified embryology lab staff with expertise in cryopreservation, specially-trained nurses, a psychologist, genetic counselor and a vast support team of caring administrative staff who can help you with other details including financing options.

All of this expertise is coupled with close and seamless collaboration with our patients’ cancer specialists no matter where they reside. We have existing relationships and work with oncologists in the Bay Area and throughout the nation who are aware of the necessity to collaborate quickly to manage your fertility preservation options so we can integrate your fertility preservation choices into the process of your cancer care.

At the UCSF Fertility Preservation Program, we understand that each patient’s situation is unique and create an individualized treatment plan to address your specific needs. We preserve fertility in patients that have any cancer including breast, colon, head and neck, gynecological and hematological malignancies, as well as hereditary cancer syndromes, and other medical conditions. We partner with you so you can make the best decisions possible. Through education and counseling we encourage you to make active decisions about your fertility options rather than ignore and delay decisions that you must then face as an added consequence of your cancer diagnosis.

Our comprehensive services for men and women include:

• Medical Therapies – including treatments that may protect the ovary from chemotherapy
  
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) – harvesting, fertilizing and freezing embryos prior to chemotherapy
  
• Fertility Preservation Surgery – harvesting and freezing unfertilized eggs prior to chemotherapy
  
• Oocyte and Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation
  
• In Vitro Maturation (IVM)
  
• Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) – screening embryos for cancer specific genes
  
• Sperm Cryopreservation
  
• Urology Services to preserve sperm prior to chemotherapy
  
• Advanced Sperm Retrieval Services
  
• Egg Donor Program – for those who chose not to preserve fertility prior to chemotherapy
  
• Embryo Donor Program
  
• Surrogacy Services – for those women who should not, or cannot, carry a pregnancy after cancer treatment
  
• Psychological Counseling
  
• Genetic Screening and Counseling
  
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine Services

We understand time is often critical when making decisions about your fertility preservation options, and know that patients often only have a very limited time between the diagnosis and the beginning of cancer treatment. If you have a recent cancer diagnosis, we will see you within 24-48 hours of that diagnosis. Please phone the UCSF Fertility Preservation Program directly at (415) 353-9115 to make an appointment. We work with local and out of state patients. If you are visiting from out of town, we can also assist you in finding local lodging. Please contact the UCSF Patient Lodging Service toll-free at (888) 689-8273. We look forward to serving you.

Fertility Preservation Research

As a university-based program, we believe it is important to pioneer research that places us at the forefront of providing the most-up-to-date treatment options for our patients. Our research is a critical component of how we participate in advancing the new options for care and treatment for fertility preservations. Some of our studies include:

• Ovarian Aging in patients with Cancer:  The primary goal of this study is to characterize follicle (egg) loss in patients who undergo chemotherapy. 
• Ovarian Preservation in Women treated for Lymphoma and Leukemia: This research project will evaluate the potential beneficial effects of various treatments for Lymphoma or Leukemia on future fertility. 
  
• Fertility Preservation in young female cancer survivors- a survey of patients in the California Cancer Registry:  The goal of this study is to determine reasons for the under-utilization of treatment for fertility preservation in cancer patients.
• Prospective decision analysis for cancer patients regarding fertility options: Our goal is to understand how women make decisions in terms of preserving their fertility before treatment or how they feel about their decision after treatment
• Exploring the reproductive impact of new pharmaceuticals: We are developing a model to assess ovarian aging with clinical and biochemical markers.  
• The potential generation of germ cells (eggs/sperm) through stem cell technology.  
  

Resources

Reproductive Concerns and Cancer Treatment: what you need to know, Mitchell Rosen, MD, Women & Cancer, Summer 2008 (click here to download a PDF of the article)

Infertility, Mitchell Rosen, MD from cancersupportivecare.com (click here to download a PDF of the article)
A helpful website for women with cancer: www.womenandcancermag.com

Livestrong, a foundation dedicated to helping individuals with cancer: www.livestrong.org

Cancer Care Magazine, CancerCare, a national nonprofit organization that provides free, professional support services for anyone affected by cancer: www.cancercare.org

Everyone's Guide to Cancer Therapy: How Cancer Is Diagnosed, Treated and Managed Day to Day, Andrew H. Ko, Malin Dollinger, Ernest H. Rosenbaum

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