The Oncofertility Consortium held its third annual conference this past week (September 13-15) in Chicago, bringing together a diverse group of researchers, basic scientists, clinicians, nurses, social workers, sociologists, economists, and ethicists to share their progress on oncofertility research initiatives as well as brainstorm for future endeavors. We are happy to report that it was a tremendously successful event that included the participation of over 150 individuals from around the US and abroad. Thank you to all who attended and shared their insights and experiences with the larger group—we hope you were as satisfied with the interdisciplinary and interactive event as we were. A special thanks to our keynote speaker, Dr. John Eppig, as well as all presenters throughout the event and the dedicated staff at Prentice Women’s Hospital and our NUAMPS IT team who ensured a seamless event.

The entire event was recorded live via AdobeConnect, and we look forward to sharing the exciting presentations and discussions with you once all the footage has been uploaded. A link to the archived footage will be posted on the blog once all videos are available, so check back frequently within the next few weeks to see the Oncofertility Consortium in action!

My name is Shauna Gardino and I am clinical research coordinator at the Oncofertility Consortium. I manage the portfolio of social science studies related to fertility preservation for cancer patients. There are five current social science initiatives that provide a vital perspective of the social implications and considerations associated with oncofertiltiy in the lived world, including:
• An examination of the ethical, legal and religious issues associated with emerging fertility preservation technologies, including issues such justice and access to treatment, consent and disclosure, international perspectives and prospective ethics.
• A willingness to pay assessment spearheaded by the Kellogg School of Economics to understand the economic value of oncofertility technologies
• A shared decision-making study aimed at developing, implementing, evaluating and disseminating a shared decision making model for family, patients and health care providers to use in deciding what to do about fertility issues when a young girl has been diagnosed with cancer
• An examination of how breast cancer patients navigate fertility concerns and treatment options, looking at how doctors and patients discuss the topic of infertility and possible treatment options and identifying facilitators and barriers to this exchange of information
• A quality of life study aiming to assess reproductive concerns and psychosocial functioning in cancer patients and to compare longitudinally the overall psychosocial functioning in cancer patients referred for fertility consultation and cancer patients not referred for fertility consultation.

Additional information related to the social science initiatives can be found on the Oncofertility Website:
http://oncofertility.northwestern.edu/research/social-science-and-oncofertility

I am also currently conducting an independent study on adoption agency attitudes and perspectives on the potential to parent for individuals with a history of cancer. I also assist with administrative duties at the Consortium and will be in charge of the Annual Oncofertility Consortium Conference this September 14-16th in Chicago, IL. The conference is an opportunity for researchers and clinicians to disseminate knowledge and share progress and ideas in the field of oncofertility, and a testament to our growing network and emerging field. Mark your calendars!

Looking forward to sharing this exciting research with all of you!!

Shauna