The effects of bundled interventions on clinical practice for fertility preservation amongst young cancer patients (Status: Completed)

The consequences of cancer and treatment on fertility can be a continuing source of distress for adolescent and young adults. Oncofertility is a developing specialty that focuses on  the reproductive future for cancer survivors as well as interventions to manage the psychosocial aspects of loss of reproductive function. This project aimed to identify the clinical practice of fertility preservation for young people aged 15-24 years across five tertiary cancer centres in Queensland. Data were examined over a five year period (2012-2016) regarding documented risk of infertility discussions, referral to fertility specialists and fertility preservation. Analysis identify variation in clinical practice associated with age, gender and disease type. While targeted interventions in 2015 were effective in reducing variations across some domains, the lack of uniform guidelines, clear referral pathways and limited consensus on the best way to deliver and provide services continue as barriers to equitable fertility preservation. We aim to develop further interventions to address these issues. For more information, please contact the lead PI – Dr Natalie Bradford. Click here to access to report published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.