The MyOncofertility Web site is now listed on The Hormone Foundation’s Web site in the “Useful Links” section, under the Public/Patients tab.
The Hormone Foundation is a rich source of hormone-related health information and targets for not only doctors and organizations, but patients and the general public too.
The Hormone Foundation recently added a link the the MyOncofertility Web site – directing patients and the general public there to gather more information.
The MyOncofertility site will now be an addred resource for those people seeking information, and can help the Foundation uphold its mission “to serve as a resource for the public by promoting the prevention, treatment and cure of hormone-related conditions through outreach and education.”
The Foundation works directly with The Endocrine Society and its members to make information about hormones and endocrine diseases readily accessible and available to everyone.
To check out the page with the MyOncofertility Web site link, go to: Useful Links.
Dr. Jeffrey Chang wins the San Diego Science Alliance Partnership Award at a ceremony on May 21st, 2009. He is accompanied by SDSA Executive Director Nancy Taylor and SDSA Preseident Rick Beach. Photo courtesy of SDSA.
Dr. Jeffrey Chang, the principal investigator of the National Physicians Cooperative, is the winner of the Partnership Award from the San Diego Science Alliance. The award ceremony took place on May 21st in San Diego and honors Dr. Chang’s efforts to improve K-12 science education.
Dr. Chang is the Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of California, San Diego. He was one of the leading physician scientists to identify Oncofertility as a critical issue for young women and he runs the San Diego equivalent of the Oncofertility Saturday Academy – the BE WiSE program.
Twelve young women from 10 different high schools and attending 10th to 12th grade in San Diego County are participating in the BE WiSE program. Their first session will be on reproductive biology and will take place on July 11th.
Teaching Oncofertility at the high school level earned Dr. Chang his trophy from the San Diego Science Alliance and members of the Oncofertility Consortium are proud of his accomplishment and dedication.
An article submitted in early March to the Emax Health Web site quotes the NEJM article by Dr. Jeruss and Teresa Woodruff. It also describes Oncofertility, explaining what it is. Furthermore, the author directs people to the MyOncofertility Web site, an effort led by the Oncofertility Consortium to educate patients on fertility options when faced with cancer.
On March 10th, Time Magazine published an article that mentioned both Dr. Silber, a member of the Oncofertility Consortium, and a journal article published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
A Hope to Prolong Fertility: Ovarian Transplants describes the choices faced by Stephanie Yarber, one of Dr. Silber’s patients. Yarber was diagnosed with premature ovarian failure at 14 and opted to try an ovarian transplant.
The article also mentions “Preservation of Fertility in Patients with Cancer” by Dr. Jeruss and Teresa Woodruff.
Megan Faurot, the director of education programs at the Institute for Women’s Health Research, appeared in a Q&A article on the Medill Reports Chicago Web site on May 13th. She talks about how she applies her skills as a teacher to work with scientists and clinicians to develop educational programs for high school students, such as the Oncofertility Saturday Academy.
The other day my boyfriend’s mother gave me the current issue of Newsweek telling me that it contained an article I must read. She had the magazine opened to the article “Why I froze my eggs”. I thought to myself good lord, another journalist’s attempt to inaccurately document fertility preservation and assisted reproduction. However, the article is very well written and it gave a first hand view of the pressures women are feeling about their fertility in today’s society as well as the correct steps a woman should take if they are considering these options. I checked out the company they mentioned in the article online and it turns out I had examined some test oocytes for spindle defects a few years back from this same group. At the time I know they were very sincere in their measures to find an alternative in Italy to freezing embryos (see http://www.the-scientist.com/news/20050614/01/). I feel that the concept of oocyte freezing is directed more for young girls and women facing life threatening diseases over the lack of ”finding Mr. Right”, however that is a personal choice made possible by new frontiers in reproductive biology.
One thing that was not mentioned in the article that I am puzzled by is that the author had 35 oocytes retrieved and only 8 of them were mature to freeze on the spot. Did they try to in vitro mature the remaining 28 or were they simply discarded?
A cervical cancer survivor wrote an article on commercialappeal.com. It was published on Mother’s Day and encourages women to get tested for HPV, whether the woman has had the HPV vaccine or not.
Michelle Whitlock, who wrote “My thoughts: Simple tests can help reduce rates of cervical cancer,” mentions briefly that she was lucky enough to harvest her eggs before her treatment began.
One of the issues we have to deal with in Oncofertility is communication and dissemination of information – to have a doctor explain to you about your fertility options at such a crucial moment, when you might be running out of time to start treatment, is not very common and this must change.
Or perhaps Michelle took the initiative to find out the information on her own, which is commendable. But if you are a young child, or haven’t thought about a baby, much less a boyfriend or girlfriend, and all you are thinking about is fighting for your own life, it would be helpful to have your doctor talk to you or your family about the options available to you.
I’m a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and, if I’m not mistaken, the newest member of the Woodruff Laboratory. Originally from Montreal (Quebec, Canada), I received my B.Sc. (Physiology) and Ph.D. (Pharmacology and Therapeutics) from McGill University. With a background in teratology (birth defects research) and developmental biology, I have much to learn about women’s health and fertility. However, while I have yet to reach the two-month mark in the lab, I feel like I’ve hit the ground running. My work will ultimately examine how (1) aberrant exposure of specific environmental toxicants and (2) experimental models of polycystic ovarian syndrome disrupt fertility. Through this blog, I hope to share my interests with the you and look forward to hearing (or rather reading) what’s on your mind!
Karrie Snyder is talking about "Support and Tension: The Impact of Cancer-Related Infertility on Family Relationships" #Oncofertility2009-07-24
Kathleen Galvin, communication studies prof talking about "Whose Future Is It? Ethical Family Decision-making in the #Oncofertility Context" 2009-07-24
Sarah Rodriguez at the last session, "Reproduction, Parenthood, and Sexuality" is speaking on "Placing #Oncofertility in History" 2009-07-24
The contents of the Oncofertility Consortium Blog are for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
