Oncofertility supports cancer patients in fulfilling the dream of parenthood
Our Tennessee fertility clinic provides oncofertility services that support cancer patients in preserving their fertility. Oncofertility is an interdisciplinary medical field that connects reproductive medicine and oncology. Patients work with both a fertility specialist and an oncologist to ensure their fertility preservation and cancer treatment needs are being met.
Oncofertility options for women
A woman’s reproductive system can undergo harm during radiation, chemotherapy or surgery for cancer. There are fertility preservation options that help ensure women have the option to build a family after cancer treatment.
Egg freezing. Freezing eggs is ideal for women who are not yet with the person they’d like to have children with. Before the woman begins cancer treatment, she takes medications that cause multiple eggs to mature. When the eggs are an ideal size, the doctor collects them during a short procedure.
After egg retrieval, an embryologist flash freezes the eggs with a technology called vitrification. We then store the eggs. When the woman is ready to start a family, we thaw the eggs and fertilize them with sperm. We then transfer one of the resulting embryos into her uterus or the uterus of a gestational surrogate.
Embryo freezing. If a woman is with the person she’d like to have children with, she can utilize embryo freezing before starting cancer treatment. After the doctor collects the woman’s eggs, an embryologist fertilizes them with sperm from the woman’s partner. The embryologist then flash freezes the resulting embryos using vitrification.
When the woman is ready to build a family, an embryologist thaws an embryo and the doctor transfers it into the uterus of the woman or her gestational surrogate.
Our Tennessee fertility clinic supports women in learning more about how oncofertility can support them in preserving healthy eggs and embryos.
Fertility preservation for men
Cancer treatments can also cause reproductive issues in men, such as challenges with sperm production. We can help men bypass this obstacle with sperm freezing.
Sperm freezing consists of the man providing one or more semen samples at our clinic. An andrologist then washes, prepares and flash freezes the sperm.
When the man is ready to use the sperm, we thaw it and use it during an IUI or IVF. During IUI, a doctor uses a catheter to insert the man’s sperm into the uterus of his partner. If the man and his partner require IVF, an embryologist uses the man’s sperm to fertilize eggs from his partner or an egg donor. A doctor then transfers a resulting embryo into the uterus of the man’s partner or gestational surrogate.
Our Tennessee fertility clinic understands how difficult it can be to face the prospect of your reproductive system experiencing harm before you’re ready to start a family. We can help you navigate this challenging time so that you can fulfill the dream of parenthood when the time is right. Contact us for more information about cancer and fertility preservation.
