TY - JOUR
T1 - Results from the survey for preservation of adolescent reproduction (SPARE) study
T2 - Gender disparity in delivery of fertility preservation message to adolescents with cancer
AU - Köhler, Tobias S.
AU - Kondapalli, Laxmi A.
AU - Shah, Amul
AU - Chan, Sarah
AU - Woodruff, Teresa K.
AU - Brannigan, Robert E.
N1 - Funding Information:
Statement of Financial Support This research was supported by the Oncofertility Consortium NIH 1 UL1 RR024926-01 as part of the NIH Roadmap Interdisciplinary Research Consortia and the NIH/ NRSA Reproductive Biology Training Grant T32 HD07068.
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - Purpose: Diminished reproductive capacity is a devastating consequence of life-sparing therapies for childhood malignancy. In 2006, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published fertility preservation recommendations (ASCOR) emphasizing the importance of early discussion and intervention for fertility preservation strategies. Using the Survey for Preservation of Adolescent REproduction (SPARE), we sought to determine fertility preservation attitudes and practice patterns post-ASCOR from pediatric oncology specialists nationwide. Materials and methods: The SPARE survey consists of 22 questions assessing pediatric oncology specialists' attitudes and practice patterns toward fertility preservation. Broad perspectives on fertility preservation, including a willingness to discuss fertility, knowledge of current fertility preservation methods and awareness of ASCOR, were assessed. Results: The majority of respondents acknowledged that fertility threats are a major concern for them and agreed that all pubertal cancer patients should be offered a fertility consultation, but only 46% reported they refer male pubertal cancer patients to a fertility specialist prior to cancer treatment >50% of the time, and only 12% reported they refer female pubertal cancer patients to a fertility specialist prior to cancer treatment > 50% of the time. While 44% of respondents were familiar with the 2006 ASCOR, only 39% of those utilized them to guide decision-making in greater than half of their patients. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates pediatric oncologists' motivation to preserve fertility in pediatric cancer patients; however, barriers to both gamete cryopreservation and referral to fertility specialists persist. Female pubertal patients are referred to fertility preservation specialists with much less frequency than are male pubertal patients, highlighting a disparity.
AB - Purpose: Diminished reproductive capacity is a devastating consequence of life-sparing therapies for childhood malignancy. In 2006, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published fertility preservation recommendations (ASCOR) emphasizing the importance of early discussion and intervention for fertility preservation strategies. Using the Survey for Preservation of Adolescent REproduction (SPARE), we sought to determine fertility preservation attitudes and practice patterns post-ASCOR from pediatric oncology specialists nationwide. Materials and methods: The SPARE survey consists of 22 questions assessing pediatric oncology specialists' attitudes and practice patterns toward fertility preservation. Broad perspectives on fertility preservation, including a willingness to discuss fertility, knowledge of current fertility preservation methods and awareness of ASCOR, were assessed. Results: The majority of respondents acknowledged that fertility threats are a major concern for them and agreed that all pubertal cancer patients should be offered a fertility consultation, but only 46% reported they refer male pubertal cancer patients to a fertility specialist prior to cancer treatment >50% of the time, and only 12% reported they refer female pubertal cancer patients to a fertility specialist prior to cancer treatment > 50% of the time. While 44% of respondents were familiar with the 2006 ASCOR, only 39% of those utilized them to guide decision-making in greater than half of their patients. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates pediatric oncologists' motivation to preserve fertility in pediatric cancer patients; however, barriers to both gamete cryopreservation and referral to fertility specialists persist. Female pubertal patients are referred to fertility preservation specialists with much less frequency than are male pubertal patients, highlighting a disparity.
KW - Cancer
KW - Cryopreservation
KW - Fertility preservation
KW - Pediatric oncology
KW - Survey
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79958263025&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79958263025&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10815-010-9504-6
DO - 10.1007/s10815-010-9504-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 21110080
AN - SCOPUS:79958263025
VL - 28
SP - 269
EP - 277
JO - Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
JF - Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics
SN - 1058-0468
IS - 3
ER -
