At the Oncofertility Consortium, we are always trying to make sure that we have the most up-to-date and accessible information regarding fertility preservation, particularly for patients. Whether we are partnering with advocacy groups to let patients know about support services available to them or we are sharing the latest research being done in fertility preservation, we want to make sure that we reach as many people as we can. One way that we work to do this is by making sure fertility preservation information shared on our partner websites is accessible to non-English speakers.

Currently, both of our sister sites, www.SaveMyFertility.org and www.MyOncofertility.org, have Spanish translations. Spanish seemed like the logical next step to creating a larger readership and expanding our reach within the oncofertility and patient community. Now we’re on to phase 2: Italian via Dormant Buds Association and website!!

Dormant Buds is an association founded based on the ideas of a gynecologist who works at a public hospital and specializes in fertility.  After contact with dozens of patients who, because of aggressive therapies, lost their ability to have children, the doctor, along with the help of a group of volunteers, designed a reference website, www.gemmedormienti.it. In the Section “Domande,” are Italian translations of the MyOncofertility.org animations. Take a look at this new website to see the latest translation!

Are you a cancer survivor? Help oncofertility researchers study and prevent treatment-induced fertility loss by joining the FIRST online fertility registry for cancer survivors!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to tour the Supportive Oncology Suite with our Fertility Preservation Patient Navigator, Kristin Smith. The Supportive Oncology Suite is part of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University’s Maggie Daley Center for Women’s Cancer Care, located within Prentice Women’s Hospital. Prentice already has a reputation for being a first class facility with great technology and of course, an amazing view of Chicago’s lakefront.  Fortunately, I was able to see what all the fuss was about once I stepped out onto the 5^th floor and made a quick right into the space Kristin calls her “office.”

Once inside and past reception, I entered what is called the Healing Boutique. This relaxing atmosphere has a wall of windows looking out onto Lake Michigan with 2 chairs set up in front of a large mirror. It’s a space where cancer patients who have lost their hair to chemotherapy can come in and get a free wig fitting courtesy of the American Cancer Society. It’s also a space where patients can come in and find more holistic resources for cancer care. They can select from a variety of calming music to borrow while they are receiving their treatment in the infusion suite or several cookbooks to take home geared toward cancer patients, selected by a certified dietician. Patients can also just come here to relax or meet with the supportive oncology staff which includes psychologists, physical therapists, nurses and patient navigators.

Down the hall is a massage and acupuncture room where patients can receive up to 5 free treatments from a certified masseuse and/or acupuncturist. Often patients receive these services in the infusion suite while they are undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Across from that room are 2 offices housing psychologists that meet with cancer patients and survivors to discuss any questions, concerns or issues that they may be struggling with or need additional support with, including fertility concerns.  Finally, as you reach the back of the suite, there is a rehabilitation room where cancer patients can come every Wednesday and receive help with health issues such as lymphedema, a condition that occurs when lymph nodes have been removed or damaged and lymphatic fluid collects in those tissues, causing swelling. The Supportive Oncology suite serves as a one-stop-shop for cancer patients who can visit with their oncologist and receive rehabilitative services in the same place.

The 5^th floor, Supportive Oncology suite also houses weekly group meetings sponsored by Gilda’s Club Chicago for patients, survivors, family and friends. In addition, the dieticians in the supportive oncology suite will be starting a weight management/weight loss group beginning after Labor Day.  It will be an 8 week structured program focusing on healthy diets, exercise, food preparation and gradual, sustained weight loss open to any patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and may be of particular interest to cancer patients and survivors with fertility concerns.  Make sure to stop by and visit this great resource if you are in the Chicago region or visit the American Cancer Society to find resources in your own area.

The Oncofertility Consortium often uses technical terms when discussing cancer and fertility preservation. In an effort to remove the jargon from reproductive science, Cathryn Smeyers, Program Manager of the Center for Reproductive Research, created Repropedia, which is what we link to on our blog when terms need to be defined. We asked Cathryn to tell us a little more about Repropedia and this is what she had to say:

By Cathryn Smeyers

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Education and outreach are primary goals of the Center for Reproductive Research (a Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research -SCCPIR- funded by the National Institutes of Health), and this is what drew me to the Program Manager position.  A few months ago, Dr. Woodruff and I met to discuss the development of the outreach component of the Center, and she proposed the idea of creating an online reproductive dictionary to provide the public with words and definitions they could use to understand reproductive health and biology.  Thus, Repropedia was born.

As we fleshed out the details of our initial concept, we decided to make the website more dynamic by adding images and video clips of scientists/clinicians defining various terms and eventually adding an audio component.  We also added an “Ask an Expert” link, which allows users to submit a question or solicit additional information. The questions are fielded by members of the Woodruff Lab.

Our target audience for Repropedia is the general public and students interested in learning more about oncofertility.  We want these definitions to be accessible to everyone so we avoid using jargon in the definitions. To ensure accuracy and clarity, I assembled an editorial board with members from the Woodruff Lab. Every time we add a new term,  lab members review the term before it’s officially added to the site.

Our goal with Repropedia is that it will continue to evolve and grow.  We want individuals throughout the reproductive health and science communities to contribute terms/definitions, images, and video clips. In May, the annual SCCPIR research meeting was held in Chicago, just a few blocks away from the Northwestern University campus.  This afforded us the opportunity to solicit video contributions from PIs, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students from centers throughout the country.  We also ask any scientists/clinicians visiting the Woodruff Lab to make a contribution to the site.

If you would like additional information about Repropedia or are interested in contributing additional terms, images, or video clips to this important resource, please visit the website or contact me at c-smeyers@northwestern.edu for additional details.  This work is supported Award Number U54 HD041857 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development.

Cancer is a disease that touches many people’s lives both directly and indirectly thereby creating a need for community based cancer support organizations. One such organization, Gilda’s Club, opened their signature Red Door in 1995 and since then, has been fostering a community of free support for men, women and children living with cancer as well as their caregivers and friends. What sets Gilda’s Club apart from other organizations is their unique ability to recognize and respond to the needs of the local cancer community through innovative programming.  Gilda’s Club Chicago was initially focused on bringing the cancer community together in their home-like clubhouse in the River North neighborhood, but within the last two years, the organization expanded their program to Chicago hospitals, creating their own unique niche in cancer care.

Gilda’s Club Chicago’s hospital initiative began out of need to bring cancer support services to individuals who might not be able to easily access the clubhouse.  This original program provides networking, support groups, workshops, education and social activities for patients, survivors, caregivers and friends at several local hospitals.  Outreach Coordinator, Amy Coleman said that the main goal of the hospital initiative was to continue “creating community by bringing people together.”  Currently the program at the Lurie Cancer Center has approximately 20 hours of programming which include yoga classes, T’ai Chi, arts and crafts as well as networking groups on such topics as “Parenting with Cancer,” and “Starting a Family After Cancer.” Coleman also said that in the next few months, they’re hoping to increase their presence at Lurie.

Another great benefit of the hospital initiative is the convenience it provides to patients, caregivers and friends. Oftentimes patients find their way into the programs offered through Gilda’s Club while they are waiting for their appointment. According to Amy, “you’ll often find patients in here with their buzzers participating in a session while they are waiting to be called in by the doctor.” Parents undergoing cancer treatment can also bring their children to some of the workshops which provide a great alternative to sitting in the waiting room as well as one less thing a parent has to be concerned about in an already strenuous time.

To find out more about what Gilda’s Club Chicago has to offer, including programs and events for young adults with cancer, please visit the website at www.gildasclubchicago.org. Their hospital programming can currently be found at:

• Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
• Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
• University of Chicago Medical Center
• Rush University Medical Center
• Children’s Memorial
• John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County
• University of Illinois Medical Center

Jennifer Jozefik

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Hello everyone! I currently work as a Lab Technician in the Woodruff Laboratory, and I would like to tell you a little bit about myself. In December 2007, I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a double major in Integrative Biology and Psychology. During my undergraduate career, I did much research focusing on Endometriosis, which sparked my interest in the field of reproductive biology.

Upon graduation, I was drawn to working in the Woodruff lab because of the application of bench work science directly to the clinical world. As a volunteer working with cancer patients, it allowed the impact of the Oncofertility research to reach me at a more personal level. Currently, I work with the model systems for follicle research and culture, in addition to a variety of different applications for these systems. For example, one project that I recently worked on with Dr. Susan Barrett and Richard Ahn, involved testing the effects of certain chemotherapeutics on fertility in females. Through blogging, I hope to share a lot more about the collaborative lab research with all of you! Thanks for reading!

Greg Dolin

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Hello all. I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself.
I am a Visiting Associate Professor of Law at the George Washington University School of Law. Previously, I was affiliated with Northwestern University Law School, which is how I got involved in the Oncofertility project. I am a trained attorney, but also a doctor. Because of my background, the Oncofertility project was of particular interest to me.
My role on the project is to help explore legal issues that are likely to face the scientists, doctors, patients, and families that come in contact with Oncofertility. In collaboration with several other authors, we recently published an article titled “Medical Hope, Legal Pitfalls” which explores these issues. We are currently in the process of revising that article into a book chapter. I hope to post on the blog whenever a legal story or case of interest and relevance to Oncofertility is in the news. I look forward to the conversation.

Rachel Smith

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I am a graduate student in Dr. Lonnie Shea’s group investigating biomaterials for regenerative medicine. I have just completed my first year of graduate school in the department of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University. I did my undergraduate studies at Iowa State University, majoring in Biochemistry. I would like to further the understanding of how a follicle interacts with its environment by creating synthetic matrices with biomaterials. I will be considering both mechanical and biological signaling between the follicle and its environment. The influence of mechanical signaling (called mechanotransduction) is a relatively new area of study, so a lot of exciting new discoveries in the field of mechanotransduction are happening! My “big-picture” goal is to apply these findings to the creation of in vitro models of fertility and infertility, and to improve the follicle culture system for the clinical applications of the Oncofertility project.

Amanda Redig

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Hello – my name is Mandy Redig and I’m an MD/PhD student in my final year of medical school at Northwestern.  I moved to Chicago in the summer of 2003, and several years later I have now completed my PhD in cancer biology and am looking forward to residency interviews this fall.  I plan to pursue a career in oncology, and I hope to move forward in a way that allows me to integrate both my interests in clinical medicine and my fascination with the discovery process of basic science.  During the course of my training I have also become very interested in questions of cancer survivorship, and that combined with my experience rotating in Dr. Woodruff’s lab back in the summer of 2003 is what has led me to become involved with some writing projects related to Oncofertility.

Hi! I’m Jacqueline de la Cruz (you can also call me Jackie) and I just joined the Oncofertility Consortium in June as a Clinical Research Coordinator. I recently completed my MPH in Maternal and Child Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, after having received my BA in Human Biology at Stanford University. Chicago is my home, so it was great to come back to study and work here!

My work with the Consortium will mainly consist of supporting the research initiatives of the National Physicians’ Cooperative (NPC), a group of 60 nationwide institutions that work together to investigate and provide fertility preservation options for cancer patients. I’m excited about working so closely with these innovative groups and will definitely keep everyone updated with the NPC’s progress!

Victor O’Halloran

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Hello, I’m Victor O’Halloran and I’m working as a summer intern for the Oncofertility Consortium.  My project this summer has been to research and summarize various religious perspectives and thinking on fertility, infertility and medical intervention.  I hope that this preliminary reasearch can be used to create a context in which to think about and discuss religious responses to Oncofertility as well as some of the ways patients of various faiths might approach their own treatment. The study includes perspectives from Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, Evangelical Christianity, Protestantism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.  I am an undergraduate at Eugene Lang College of New School University in Manhattan majoring in Religious Studies.