Fertility preservation survey

Dear Friends and Colleagues.
Chemotherapy treatment may lead to the loss of reproductive organ function, premature ovarian failure or the inability to produce mature eggs for ovulation. It is difficult to reliably predict post-treatment ovarian reserve and there are no reliable incidence figures on infertility following cancer treatment.
The aim of this study is to better understand physicians’ knowledge of, and attitudes toward fertility preservation for cancer patients. This information will be published to help fertility treatment providers and oncologists develop optimized fertility preservation care approaches and strategies.

Do you perform treatment for fertility preservation for cancer patients or do you refer patients to other treatment centers?
  • We perform the treatment
  • We refer the patient to other centers
  • We do not have fertility preservation patients

 

Please estimate the number of cancer patients treated annually in your clinic for fertility preservation
  • None
  • 1-5
  • 6-20
  • 21-50
  • 51-80
  • More than 80

 

Cancer patients who consult with you for fertility preservation:
  • Are referred mostly by oncologists
  • Are not referred by oncologists: they seek advice on their own
  • Not applicable: Our unit does not receive fertility preservation consultations

 

In your opinion, does the oncologist sufficiently address patient questions on, or inform patients about fertility after cancer treatment?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Do not know

 

Do you cryopreserve ovarian tissue for fertility preservation?
  • Yes
  • No

 

Please estimate the annual number of patients for whom you perform ovarian tissue cryopreservation
  • None
  • 1-5
  • 6-10
  • 11-20
  • More than 20

 

Who typically pays for fertility preservation treatment for cancer patients?
  • The patient or family member
  • The government
  • The insurance company
  • Other

 

Are you doing in vitro maturation (IVM) for fertility preservation in cancer patients?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

In patients with malignant hematological diseases, when do you start fertility preservation treatment?
  • Immediately
  • Wait for the follicular phase to start
  • Start in the luteal phase
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

Does your unit have differences in treatment protocols based on the type of the malignancy?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

For fertility preservation treatment in cancer patients, do you use and prefer:
  • Long gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist protocols
  • Short GnRH agonist protocols
  • GnRH antagonist protocols
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

Do you use controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocols for fertility preservation in breast cancer patients?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

In breast cancer patients do you use FSH to stimulate the ovaries?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

In breast cancer patients, do you add aromatase inhibitors to the protocol?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

In the cases in which you use a GnRH antagonist protocol, do you trigger with an agonist?
  • Yes
  • No
  • Our unit does not use GnRH antagonist protocols
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

How many cryopreserved patient oocytes would be sufficient for you to recommend that further treatment cycles are not necessary, if the general condition of the patient would allow her to continue cryopreservation therapy?
  • 1-5
  • 6-10
  • Both
  • 11-15
  • 15 or more
  • I do not have experience in the field

 

In your opinion, is there any age limit to the fertility preservation procedure?
  • No
  • Up to age 35
  • Up to age 37
  • Up to age 40
  • Up to age 42

 

For ovarian stimulation in cancer patients, what drugs do you use?
  • Recombinant FSH (rFSH)
  • Urinary gonadotropin
  • Both rFSH and urinary gonadotropin
  • Biosimilar FSH
  • None
  • Our unit does not treat patients for fertility preservation

 

For married or committed couples, what cryopreservation do you recommend?
  • Cryopreservation of oocytes
  • Cryopreservation of embryos
  • Both embryos and oocytes
  • My unit is not involved in such procedures

 

If the patient passes away, what do you do with the oocytes/embryos stored?
  • Keep the oocytes/embryos
  • Destroy the oocytes/embryo
  • Use the oocytes /embryos for reasearch
  • Other
  • We do not have experience with this situation

 

In your country, in the case of a married couple in which the woman passes away, is it legal to implant the embryos in a surrogate?
  • Yes
  • No
  • I do not know

 

Would you consider fertility preservation in the following situations? (multiple answers allowed)
  • Before surgical treatment in women suffering from severe endometriosis
  • Before a prophylactic ovariectomy in BRCA carriers
  • In women with a family history of ovarian failure
  • I have no opinion in this matter

 

Do you think that ovarian cryopreservation should be limited to several centers in each country?
  • Yes
  • No
  • I have no opinion in this matter

 

How would you describe your level of knowledge of ovarian tissue cryopreservation for fertility preservation?
  • Not at all knowledgeable
  • Aware but do not know much about the topic
  • Knowledgeable
  • Very knowledgeable

 

How would you describe your level of knowledge of oocyte cryopreservation for fertility preservation?
  • Not at all knowledgeable
  • Aware but do not know much about the topic
  • Knowledgeable
  • Very knowledgeable

 

In your country, are there any local/national guidelines on fertility preservation for cancer patients?
  • Yes
  • No
  • I do not know

 

Statement? National guidelines on fertility preservation for cancer patients are useful/needed.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree

 

Statement? Fertility preservation is a high priority for me to discuss with newly diagnosed cancer patients.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree

 

Statement? Treating the primary cancer is more important than fertility preservation.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree

 

Statement? Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is still an experimental procedure.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree

 

Statement? The success rate of fertility preservation is not yet good enough to make it an available option.
  • Agree
  • Neither agree nor disagree
  • Disagree

 

Were there pregnancies in your center in the following situations? (multiple answers allowed)
  • After cancer treatment from frozen embryos
  • After cancer treatment from cryopreserved oocytes
  • After fertility preservation from transplanted ovarian tissue
  • I am not aware of any pregnancies
  • There were no pregnancies in women with the situations stated above

 

The pregnancy rate after oocyte cryopreservation in cancer patients is not yet known because:
  • There are not enough patients that benefit from this procedure who have gotten as far as embryo transfer to assess the pregnancy rate
  • The ability of cryopreserved oocytes to be fertilized is impaired
  • There is no proper registry
  • Other reasons

 

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