Preserving fertility in cancer patients.

F our years ago, Alice Crisci was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer at age 31. She immediately brought up fertility preservation with her oncologist, who told her there was a 50% chance the chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer would leave her infertile. “I knew if they told me there was a 2% chance, I would have still wanted to pursue fertility preservation,” said Crisci. She quickly learned that fertility preservation is expensive and that insurance typically does not cover the cost of the procedures and tests. When she did not qualify for fi nancial aid through Fertile Hope — a nonprofi t that helps cancer patients at risk for infertility — she put the $20,000 fertility preservation bill on her credit card. “I walked out of the clinic, thinking, ‘This must be why I got cancer. I am going to raise money so that other women don ’ t have to put this on their credit cards. ’ ” Three weeks after her cancer diagnosis, Crisci started a nonprofi t organization to help women with cancer preserve their fertility. “My experience echoes the experience of all the patients that I connect with and help,” Crisci said. Oncologists are much more likely to have the fertility preservation conversation with a younger female patient now than a few years ago. Still, few young women are taking the steps to preserve their fertility before undergoing toxic cancer treatment, according to a study published March 26 in Cancer. The research also shows that much more needs to be done to provide effective counseling on fertility preservation for women of reproductive age who have a cancer diagnosis.