Fertility preservation with cancer therapy

Certain types of cancers and treatments can affect a person’s chance to become a parent. So, think about future family building even before your cancer treatment starts. This gives you the best chance possible to have a family in the future if you want to. This is called fertility preservation.

It can be overwhelming when you first learn that you have cancer - and then learn that you might not be able to have children after your treatment. But it’s also the time to ask about ways to protect your chance to have a family. Cancer treatment often starts soon after your cancer is diagnosed. So, you may have to decide what to do quickly. Talk to your cancer care team to learn about your options.

The most common ways to preserve fertility is by freezing eggs for women or sperm for men. You can even freeze embryos as a couple. Frozen tissue can be saved for many years. If you can’t conceive naturally after cancer treatment, there are options for you to help create family. This includes medications, insemination, surrogacy, foster parenting and adoption.

A few more tips:

• Fertility treatments can be costly. Find out if you have insurance coverage for them. If so, ask which types are covered. 
• Check to see if your employer offer fertility benefits. If yes, which one(s)?
• State laws vary, which can impact your fertility choices. Find up-to-date information by state about laws and coverage at https://resolve.org/.

Going through fertility treatments can be stressful. You may have mixed emotions. You’re not alone. Reach out to loved ones and your fertility care team. They can help make sure you and your partner find support during your fertility journey.

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