Oncofertility and Fertility Preservation Explained

When we think about working with a fertility specialist, it’s often about those who need a little extra help starting the family they’ve always wanted. It’s an exciting time with an underlying current of cautious optimism. But for some, it might be a path they’ve never really thought about before.

For the estimated 1.9 million people diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. this year, this news can derail plans for those who hope to have children of their own. That’s where oncofertility preservation can help, bridging that gap between the present and the future to ensure that the option remains available for you in the future.

Women in their reproductive years who are diagnosed with cancer or going through any chemotherapeutic treatments which can impact the ovaries in the future can work with a fertility specialist before treatment begins.

If you are a man seeking oncofertility options, sperm banking is an avenue you can take. Please contact your fertility specialist or doctor to learn more about this option.

How Oncofertility Preservation Works

Oncofertility treatments are the exact same as those going through the egg freezing process, intending to help you produce as many healthy eggs as possible. This will be accomplished using the fertility medication or injection method best suited for your body’s unique circumstances. Some of the most common ones are:

• Clomiphene citrate (known more commonly by its brand name, Clomid), is an oral medication that stimulates or increases ovulation.
• Letrozole (whose brand name is Fermara), is an oral pill that increases FSH production to help correct irregular ovulation or ovulation to help your ovaries release eggs.
• Gonadotropins are shots containing hormones to produce follicles that house the eggs and trigger ovulation.

From there, your fertility specialist will retrieve and preserve those eggs so that you protect that option for the future.

Starting your treatments will be dependent on a number of factors, but two of the most important things your doctor will look at are when your last cycle was and when you will start your chemotherapy or radiation treatments. Depending on these, you may need to start treatments immediately, or there might be some waiting time. Once you begin treatments, this process can take between two and six weeks to complete.

VFP Pharmacy Group is Here to Help

VFP Pharmacy Group isn’t just a place where you can get your prescriptions filled. Our mission is to provide you with the information you need no matter what, including:

• Where you can get your prescriptions filled, whether that be with us or another organization that works with your insurance plan.
• How to pay for your fertility medications, whether that be through insurance or a self-pay option. For oncofertility patients specifically, we offer a 10% discount to alleviate some of that stress.
• Live, virtual injection and medication lessons where you’ll work one-on-one with one of our nurses to feel confident and comfortable starting treatment.

On top of that, the team at VFP Pharmacy Group are fertility treatment experts and are available 24/7 to help answer any questions you might have. Working with us isn’t about receiving a service – it’s about being involved in a caring partnership that goes well beyond the purchase of medications. Contact us today to learn more.