Jennifer Bires: Fertility Preservation in People with Cancer
Jennifer Bires, Executive Director of Life with Cancer and Patient Experience for the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, reshared an article by H. Irene Su, et al. on LinkedIn:
“NEW ASCO GUIDELINE UPDATE: Fertility Preservation in People with Cancer.
Cancer takes away so much—when possible, fertility shouldn’t be one of them.
I will never forget the patient who told me, through tears, “If I had known, I would have done anything to save my chance to have kids.”
They had beaten cancer. But in the process, they lost their ability to have children—without ever being told it was at risk. No one had the conversation. No one gave them a choice. And that loss, years later, still weighs on them just as heavily as their experience with cancer.
This should never happen.
That’s why ASCO’s updated Fertility Preservation Guideline is so important.
It reinforces the need for early and proactive conversations about fertility risks and preservation options for people undergoing cancer treatment.
Hard Truths:
- Up to 50% of patients report that no one spoke to them about fertility risks before treatment.
- Many survivors experience grief, regret, depression, and anxiety when they later learn they had options—but no one told them.
- Fertility isn’t just a medical issue. It’s about identity, family, and the future.
- People make biased decisions about who is and who isn’t interested in fertility preservation – and they’re often wrong.
What needs to change?
- Every newly diagnosed patient of reproductive age should be counselled on fertility risks and options.
- Insurance must cover fertility preservation—this should be a right, not a privilege.
- Oncologists and fertility specialists must work together so no patient is left in the dark.
We can do better. We must do better.
Read the full guideline here.
If you’re a healthcare provider—are you having these conversations? If you’re a patient or survivor—did anyone talk to you about this? Let’s change the narrative. Drop your thoughts in the comments.”
Fertility Preservation in People with Cancer.
Authors: H. Irene Su, et al.
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