Congratulations to all of the Mo Bros and Mo Sistas who participated in Movember 2010!  The month quickly flew by and it was great following along many Movember adventures through their Twitter account and website.  Almost half a million people worldwide registered for Movember, bringing in approximately $56.9 million.  While the total fundraising amounts from each region will not be confirmed until next year, the nearly 65,000 Movember registrants in the United States raised over $6.2 million to support the Prostate Cancer Foundation and LIVESTRONG.  The hair-growing movement not only garnered financial support from across the nation and the globe, but also increased awareness among men and their friends and families about the importance of men’s health.

For now, many Movember participants will be sporting clean shaven faces and planning next year’s facial landscape.  The number of people joining Movember is sure to increase and we look forward to being a part of the initiative again.  My husband certainly enjoyed the challenge and I encourage everyone to form a team in 2011.  Please be sure to visit the Movember website to take a glance at pictures, stories, and videos of the past month.  And remember, donations to Movember are accepted all year round, so feel free to share some holiday love at anytime!

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday upon us tomorrow, I asked people at the Oncofertility Consortium to tell me why they are thankful for fertility preservation.  I received some very thoughtful and meaningful responses:

I am thankful for fertility preservation because it demonstrates a change in cancer care from a strict focus on curing disease to recognition of life after cancer and a respect for a patient’s future plans and family wishes.

I’m thankful that I get the opportunity to meet so many amazing and inspiring people in my job everyday.  I’m also thankful that I get to offer a glimmer of hope to patients who are going through the toughest battle of their lives.

Ironically, I’m a scientist working in oncofertility who developed benign ovarian cysts.  It was reassuring to already be familiar with the options available to me after surgery.  I even saw the Oncofertility Consortium’s pamphlet in my doctor’s office…it was nice to know that we’re getting the word out to other women in my situation.

Oncofertility allows researchers to affect patients today, ensures that current cancer patients may one day have biological children, and gives hope to survivors who lost their fertility that current cancer patients are being informed of their options.

I am thankful for fertility preservation because it allows me to apply my basic science training to a much needed clinical area.  It is such a good feeling to know that we are working to translate our work at the bench to help those in need restore their reproductive function and have a chance to have a biological family.

As for myself, I am thankful for fertility preservation because of the community it creates among scientists, health care professionals, cancer advocacy and support groups, and cancer patients and survivors.  The work of the Oncofertility Consortium spans geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural boundaries to respond to an urgent need in cancer care so as to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families.  I am grateful for everything that I have learned through the Oncofertility Consortium and for all of the hard-working and hopeful individuals who are on our team.  Thank you for reading our blog and sharing this information with those around you!  Please feel free to leave a comment below to tell us why you are thankful for fertility preservation and how the Oncofertility Consortium has affected your life this past year.

Have a healthy, safe, and happy Thanksgiving!!!

Don’t worry, it’s not a typo – Movember is the proper name for the month of November where men join together to grow moustaches (aka the mo) for the whole month in order to fundraise and raise awareness about cancers that affect men.  The moustache is Movember’s ribbon, where “Mo Bros” are literally “changing the face of men’s health.”  Movember, which originated in Australia, has grown tremendously since its inception in 2003.  Last Movember, 255,755 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas (women who support their Mo Bros in bringing attention to men’s health) from all over the world raised $42 million from the generosity of more than one million donors.

This year, Movember will donate the money raised from the US campaign to the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and LIVESTRONG.  The PCF uses the Movember funds to support research on the treatment and prevention of prostate cancer.  The money given to LIVESTRONG will be used for a variety of projects, one of which is Fertile Hope, the fertility preservation initiative dedicated to educating and supporting cancer patients and survivors whose treatments and/or disease put them at risk for infertility.  As a Fertile Hope Center of Excellence, the Oncofertility Consortium is excited about the partnership between Fertile Hope and Movember and encourages everyone to support the cause!  For more information on male fertility preservation, please call 866-708-FERT (3378) or visit myoncofertility.org.

On a personal note, I am particularly excited about Movember because my husband is part of a Movember team.  We each have prostate cancer in our families, so the issue hits close to home.  I’ll keep you updated on his progress and share pictures of the ‘stache.  It should be a fun (and hairy) adventure!  Leave a comment and let us know about your plans to participate in Movember!

I’m a newcomer to Twitter, never having caught on to the Twitter craze that has become so popular among groups and individuals, young and old.  In working with oncofertility@twitter, I must admit that I am really enjoying learning how Twitter works, and most importantly, learning from members of the Twitter community.  Who knew that so much could be shared in 140 characters or less?

The Oncofertility Consortium joins a large group of cancer and fertility support organizations on Twitter to raise awareness about cancer issues, ranging from prevention to survivorship.  The exchange of ideas and information through daily and even hourly tweets allows this active community to continually grow and gain a stronger voice.  Oncofertility@twitter works to put fertility preservation at the forefront of cancer care by providing resources, giving updates, and sharing expertise on how to handle fertility-threatening diseases or treatments.  Each tweet is a teachable moment that informs patients and their families about the opportunity to secure biological parenthood after cancer.  Currently, there are 64 followers of oncofertility@twitter – follow us today and bring us closer to our goal of 100 followers by Thanksgiving!

Have a safe and healthy Halloween!

PS: Also follow us on facebook!

Did you know that some breast cancer patients do not receive information about breast reconstruction options at the time of diagnosis?  The Cancer Support Community (CSC) issued a survey to 840 women with breast cancer from July 14 – August 20, 2010; of these women, 762 were eligible for breast reconstruction and 43 percent reported that they did not receive information about breast reconstruction options during discussions about their treatment plans at the time of diagnosis.  To be frank, I was very surprised by this outcome, especially with the amount of breast augmentation among celebrities and high profiled people that is frequently photographed and published in the mass media.  Why are cancer patients at a disadvantage?  What is going on?

According to the Cancer Support Community, the results unveil the gap in breast cancer treatment resources and the need for a trusted, validated, and widely available single resource for patients to use in order to make educated decisions about their treatment plans.  Consequently, the CSC will be launching a new national program, Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Spotlight on Breast Reconstruction, which presents comprehensive information on breast reconstruction.  The program was developed with the mission to promote patient empowerment using both in-person and web-based resources.  Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Spotlight on Breast Reconstruction consists of three components: 1) 75 community-based patient education workshops that will be offered for free throughout the U.S. in 2011 and 2012; 2) a comprehensive patient education resource guide; and 3) multimedia education tools and online resources to provide women with breast cancer a dynamic forum to discuss breast reconstruction issues.  This effort will fill the gap and address the need for breast reconstruction information for patients to utilize at the time of their diagnosis.

Similarly, the Oncofertility Consortium provides resources to empower both health care providers and cancer patients to address fertility preservation concerns at the time of diagnosis.  Through our own experience, we have learned that even though cancer patients may decide not to pursue any fertility preservation methods, they appreciate and value being presented with the options that are available to them.  The opportunity to make informed choices at the time of cancer diagnosis is a right that the Oncofertility Consortium and Cancer Support Community work to protect and strengthen.

On 10-10-10, a record number of runners started the annual Bank of America Chicago marathon across the neighborhoods of the city.  For the Oncofertility Consortium’s own Clinical Research Coordinator, Shauna Gardino, it was a warm start to her 10^th marathon.  Despite the less than ideal weather conditions, Shauna completed the race with an impressive finish time to complete her milestone marathon.  For Shauna, the race was meaningful not only because of the coincidental play on numbers, but also because she ran as a member of the Run for Prentice 2010 fundraising team.

According to the team’s website, the money raised will be directed at “clinical, research, and education initiatives that support women’s health at all stages of life,” which also includes support for programs such as Gynecologic Oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.  Because of Shauna’s work with the Oncofertility Consortium, whose mission aligns with that of Friends of Prentice, she felt especially inclined to support the Run for Prentice team in their inaugural year.  Their goal was to raise $150,000; Shauna exceeded her personal fundraising goal through the generous support of family and friends and the team itself raised a total of $144,571.  The team’s fundraising efforts will continue until November 15, 2010, so there is still time to contribute if you have not yet had the chance.  For any questions, please contact Kristin Clark at 312-926-4530, krclark@nmh.org.

How do you show your support and raise awareness for women’s health?  Do you know anyone who ran the marathon with the Run for Prentice 2010 team or another women’s health-related team?

I’m a huge football fan, so most Sundays in the fall and winter are spent watching games.  Starting this past Sunday and running until the end of the month, all of the NFL teams will accent their uniforms and gear with pink, in support of the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer awareness campaign.  During one of the games, my friend commented, “I’m all about pink and bringing attention to a cause, but is this really what my donation to cancer research is paying for?”  Her question really got me thinking about how awareness campaigns are run and whether or not they fulfill their mission improve health outcomes.

Coincidentally, the Los Angeles Times published an article questioning the benefits of awareness campaigns.  The author highlighted a few reasons why awareness campaigns, specifically breast cancer awareness campaigns, may not have the impact they promise: little improvement in breast cancer mortality rates; lack of alignment of the goals of the campaign with developments in breast cancer research, which may lead to women being over-diagnosed and undergoing unnecessary treatments; and conflict of interest between purpose of the campaign (i.e. increase and improve early detection of breast cancer) and sponsorship by pharmaceutical companies that provide breast cancer drugs.  Her compelling arguments made me think about whether the Oncofertility Consortium’s own awareness efforts have similar characteristics and what could be done to strengthen its campaign.

The Oncofertility Consortium raises awareness on all different fronts by approaching solutions to fertility impairment from cancer treatment in partnership with basic scientists, clinicians, and social scientists and humanists.  Basic scientists involved in fertility preservation research use the newest, groundbreaking materials and techniques to increase cancer patients’ likelihood of having children after fertility-threatening cancer treatment.  Clinically speaking, the impact of the Oncofertility Consortium occurs at the time of a young patient’s cancer diagnosis when information is exchanged about what fertility preservation options are available.  Whether or not the patient decides to pursue fertility preservation, the critical element is that the patient, regardless of prognosis, socioeconomic status, and race, is made aware that her cancer treatment may affect her fertility and that now is the opportunity to act.  Consortium social scientists and humanists examine case studies and conduct “thought experiments” to reflect on the historical, ethical, and social implications of fertility preservation.  In all, the Oncofertility Consortium’s education and dissemination efforts avoid the potential pitfalls of awareness campaigns by staying on top of the science, respecting the patient’s wishes regarding her fertility, and examining the societal and ethical conflicts that surround fertility preservation.

Of course, the Consortium’s awareness campaign is a dynamic work in constant progress and growth.  The Oncofertility Consortium strives to engage trainees and fellows in the basic, clinical, and social sciences and humanities to become the next generation of fertility preservation experts.  Outreach to cancer support and advocacy communities continues to develop in order to spread the message of the Oncofertility Consortium through existing local and nationwide networks.  Resources such as publications, patient and provider testimonies, training videos, and conference presentations are regularly updated and added on the Oncofertility Consortium and MyOncofertility.org websites.  Through consistent vigilance and self-evaluation, the Oncofertility Consortium ensures that its awareness campaign remains effective and valuable to cancer patients and their families.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

This week, The Washington Post shed light on a section of the health care reform law that directly impacts breast cancer research in young women in terms of desired outcomes and available funding.  Between 2010 and 2014, the law allocates 9 million dollars annually to the National Institutes of Health for disbursement to breast cancer research and advocacy groups to develop new mechanisms that will allow breast cancer to be detected earlier and one day prevented.

In 2010, the American Cancer Society reports that there have been 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women in the U.S; of the women who get breast cancer every year, approximately 10 percent are women who are younger than 45.  As early detection tools are currently being developed and tested, especially with the new funds from the health care reform law, this number is sure to increase.  For these young women, making it through their cancer therapy and surviving the disease is a top priority.  But what are the ramifications of an aggressive cancer and an equally aggressive treatment plan on a young women’s fertility?

Depending on her course of treatment, a breast cancer patient who is of reproductive age may be at risk for losing her fertility.  The Oncofertility Consortium works to anticipate potential fertility issues at the time of cancer diagnosis, so patients have as much time as possible to learn about and discuss options to preserve fertility.  In 2010, approximately 23% of the encounters between the Oncofertility Consortium’s patient navigators and patients seeking information and options have been women diagnosed with breast cancer.  Mature technologies, such as embryo freezing, and experimental techniques, such as egg freezing and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, are methods through which breast cancer patients can preserve their fertility.  While in some cases, patients decide not to pursue fertility preservation options, the Oncofertility Consortium, patient navigators who answer the national hotline (866-708-FERT), and MyOncofertility.org are there to offer options and to connect patients with a local fertility preservation program.

The need for fertility preservation to be incorporated as a standard in cancer care will increase as detection methods improve.  Perhaps another approach in using the new research funds would be to support projects that investigate cancer prevention, detection, and fertility preservation.

On April 13, 2010, Dave Look received the Northwestern University Information Technology (NUIT) Customer Champion Award based on his work with the Oncofertility Consortium and Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff.  Dave’s work is pivotal to the Oncofertility Consortium‘s success, as he helps to develop and enhance numerous websites for Dr. Woodruff’s work.  His work exemplifies the spirit of the Consortium, as he strives to create and facilitate a cross-discipline and global medium in which the work of fertility preservation can prosper.  We’re proud to have you on our team, Dave!

The annual Oncofertility Consortium Conference is September 13-15, 2009 in Chicago at Prentice Women’s Hospital. The Oncofertility Consortium is seeking abstract submissions for the poster session (video and traditional posters) for work related to the field of fertility preservation. The deadline is August 15, 2009. Please visit http://oncofertility.northwestern.edu to register for the conference, view the agenda, and SUBMIT ABSTRACTS!!!