Below are some questions to ask your health care professionals about the impact of cancer and its treatment on fertility.
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Cancer treatment and fertility
Asking your doctor questions will help you make an informed choice. You may want to include some of the questions below in your own list.
- Will cancer or its treatment affect my fertility? Will this be temporary or permanent?
- Will any delay while I preserve my fertility affect the success of the cancer treatment?
- How long do I have to make a decision?
- Can you refer me to a fertility specialist?
- What fertility options do I have before treatment starts?
- What are the pros and cons of each fertility option?
- What are the chances of success of each fertility option?
- What are the risks and possible side effects of each treatment?
- Which fertility option should I avoid and why?
- What options do I have after treatment?
- How long after treatment should I wait before trying to conceive?
- Are there any out-of-pocket expenses not covered by Medicare or my private health cover? Can the cost be reduced if I can’t afford it?
- Do I need to pay up-front before treatment begins?
Questions for reflection
Thinking about your answers to these questions may help your decision-making. There are no right or wrong answers.
- Has cancer changed my life goals, including having a child?
- If I decide not to have a child, what has led me to this decision? Are there benefits to not having a child?
- If I have a child, is it important that it is biologically related to me?
- What does my partner think?
- Which fertility option appeals to me and why?
Listen to our podcast for people affected by cancer
Dr Ying Li, Gynaecologist and Fertility Specialist, RPA Fertility Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW; Dr Antoinette Anazodo, Paediatric and Adolescent Oncologist, Sydney Children’s Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital, NSW, and Lead Clinician for Youth Cancer NSW/ACT; Paul Baden, Consumer; Dawn Bedwell, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Queensland; Maurice Edwards, Special Counsel, Watts McCray Lawyers, NSW; Helena Green, Clinical Sexologist and Counsellor, InSync for Life, WA; Dr Michelle Peate, Program Leader, Psychosocial Health and Wellbeing Research (emPoWeR) Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Women’s Hospital, The University of Melbourne, VIC; A/Prof Kate Stern, Gynaecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist and Head, Fertility Preservation Service, Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne, The University of Melbourne, VIC; Prof Jane Ussher, Chair, Women’s Health Psychology, Translational Health Resea ch Institute (THRI), School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, NSW; Renee Van Den Bosch, Consumer.
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