The National Physicians Cooperative: transforming fertility management in the cancer setting and beyond

• Published in: Future oncology (London, England) Vol. 14; no. 29; pp. 3059 - 3072
• Main Authors: Smith, Brigid M, Duncan, Francesca E, Ataman, Lauren, Smith, Kristin, Quinn, Gwendolyn P, Chang, R Jeffrey, Finlayson, Courtney, Orwig, Kyle, Valli-Pulaski, Hanna, Moravek, Molly B, Zelinski, Mary B, Irene Su, Vitek, Wendy, Smith, James F, Jeruss, Jacqueline S, Gracia, Clarisa, Coutifaris, Christos, Shah, Divya, Nahata, Leena, Gomez-Lobo, Veronica, Appiah, Leslie Coker, Brannigan, Robert E, Gillis, Valerie, Gradishar, William, Javed, Asma, Rhoton-Vlasak, Alice S, Kondapalli, Laxmi A, Neuber, Evelyn, Ginsberg, Jill P, Muller, Charles H, Hirshfeld-Cytron, Jennifer, Kutteh, William H, Lindheim, Steven R, Cherven, Brooke, Meacham, Lillian R, Rao, Pooja, Torno, Lilibeth, Sender, Leonard S, Vadaparampil, Susan T, Skiles, Jodi L, Schafer-Kalkhoff, Tara, Frias, Oliva J, Byrne, Julia, Westphal, Lynn M, Schust, Danny J, Klosky, James L, McCracken, Kate A, Ting, Alison, Khan, Zaraq, Granberg, Candace, Lockart, Barbara, Scoccia, Bert, Laronda, Monica M, Mersereau, Jennifer E, Marsh, Courtney, Pavone, Mary Ellen, Woodruff, Teresa K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Future Medicine Ltd 01.12.2018
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Behavioral Medicine - organization & administration; Cancer; Child; Clinical medicine; Consortia; Disease Progression; Education; Educational materials; Endocrinology - methods; Endocrinology - organization & administration; Ethics; Female; Females; Fertility; Fertility - drug effects; Fertility - physiology; fertility preservation; Fertility Preservation - methods; Gender; Gynecology; Gynecology - methods; Gynecology - organization & administration; Humans; Infertility; Intersectoral Collaboration; Laboratories; Medical Oncology - methods; Medical Oncology - organization & administration; Medicine; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Neoplasms - complications; Neoplasms - pathology; Neoplasms - physiopathology; Neoplasms - therapy; Obstetrics; Obstetrics - methods; Obstetrics - organization & administration; oncofertility; Oncology; Patients; Pediatrics; Physicians; Physicians - organization & administration; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pregnancy; Quality of Life; Reproductive health; Reproductive Medicine - methods; Reproductive Medicine - organization & administration; Society; Special Report; United States; Urology - methods; Urology - organization & administration; Web sites; Womens health; Young adults; United States; oncofertility; reproductive health; fertility preservation
• ISSN: 1479-6694; 1744-8301; 1744-8301
• DOI: 10.2217/fon-2018-0278

Once unimaginable, fertility management is now a nationally established part of cancer care in institutions, from academic centers to community hospitals to private practices. Over the last two decades, advances in medicine and reproductive science have made it possible for men, women and children to be connected with an oncofertility specialist or offered fertility preservation soon after a cancer diagnosis. The Oncofertility Consortium's National Physicians Cooperative is a large-scale effort to engage physicians across disciplines - oncology, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, and behavioral health - in clinical and research activities to enable significant progress in providing fertility preservation options to children and adults. Here, we review the structure and function of the National Physicians Cooperative and identify next steps.