oncofertility

With more young adults being diagnosed with cancer and surviving, there isn’t enough support available to those who want to learn more about their fertility options

What is Oncofertility?

Oncofertility is an emerging area of focus in medicine in which fertility support is provided to patients facing a cancer diagnosis, or those who have a history of cancer and now wish to conceive. With more and more young adults being diagnosed with cancer and surviving, there isn’t enough support available to those who want to learn more about their fertility options both before and after cancer treatment. Currently there’s a lack of trained health care providers focusing in on both oncology and reproductive health to help explore and expand fertility options for young cancer patients. Oncofertility aims to do just that. We focus in on this unique population to help individuals find safe fertility options in the face of a cancer diagnosis or history.

While lifesaving, surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy all have significant impacts on fertility and can impact your ability to conceive later on in life. Our clinical focus on both integrative cancer care and reproductive health allows you to find care in a place that will look at your unique needs and work with you to develop a truly supportive and safe treatment plan. Our goal is that every person, couple, and family that walks through our doors feels educated and empowered about their fertility options. We utilize naturopathic medicine and other complementary therapies in combination with conventional medical care so you get the best of both worlds.

Oncofertility & Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic medicine approaches oncofertility care before, during, and after cancer treatment to help you at every stage of your journey. 

before cancer treatment

• We help you understand your fertility options before starting cancer treatment. We will go through all the available fertility preservation options and provide you with information to help you make decisions you feel good about.

• Depending on your timeline for treatment and chosen fertility preservation method, we may provide treatment to help optimize egg/sperm quality before any procedures are completed.

during cancer treatment

• This is where naturopathic oncology care moves to the top of the priority list. We support you through cancer treatments to help protect you from side-effects of treatment and long-term complications that can arise.

• In some instances treatments for ovaries/testicles may be available to help protect your fertility as you go through treatment.

after cancer treatment

• We go through your unique risk factors for cancer recurrence to ensure we are not putting you at risk during fertility care. 

• We will requisition blood work to assess your general health, hormone health, and fertility status for both yourself and your partner.

• We will discuss genetic testing to ensure we are supporting your unique health and fertility requirements, as well as mitigating the chance of cancer recurrence. Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can alter your genes - so it’s important that we understand what’s happening here to better inform our treatment moving forward.

• We will develop a customized plan incorporating nutritional guidance, supplements, herbs, and acupuncture to help support and optimize fertility and preconception health. 

Our ultimate goal with treatment is that you are educated, empowered, and supported before, during, and after cancer treatment, so that you are able to plan for your future family. If you are considering oncofertility support, treatment and timelines will look different for everyone due to the unique nature of cases we see.

If you’re interested in learning more, our oncofertility team is here to help answer your questions and provide safe, effective care. If you would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us or book a complimentary 15 minute meet-and-greet with one of our practitioners.