Pamela Gonzalez Arnedo, a woman from Melbourne, was confronted with the dilemma of balancing her dream of motherhood with her breast cancer diagnosis and the need to start immediate treatment. Despite the known effects of chemotherapy on fertility, she was surprised by the lack of information regarding the impact of immunotherapies and targeted therapies on ovarian health, raising concerns for women like her who value their future reproductive options.
The critical issue of fertility preservation for women undergoing cancer treatment was highlighted by Kelly Phillips, a medical oncologist, who emphasized the importance of considering not just fertility but also the risk of early menopause and its long-term health implications. The call to include ovarian function assessment in all future clinical trials of anti-cancer agents, as advocated by Professor Phillips, underscores the need to address this significant gap in research and medical practice to better inform and support patients like Ms Gonzalez Arnedo.
Nick Zdenkowski, an oncologist and medical adviser, acknowledged that while eliminating cancer remains a top priority for most patients, the growing focus on the potential impact of treatment on fertility is driving efforts to improve data collection and monitoring of ovarian function post-treatment. New research efforts, such as those led by Wanda Cui at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, aim to address the lack of data on the effects of cancer treatments on ovarian health, providing insights that can guide patients in making informed decisions about family planning amidst the challenges of cancer treatment.