Oncofertility: the importance of counseling for fertility preservation in cancer patients

S. Zaami, G. Montanari Vergallo, M. Moscatelli, S. Napoletano, S. Sernia, G. La Torre

Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Rome, Italy. simona.zaami@uniroma1.it

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• Oncology

Scientific and technological advances in the diagnosis of neoplastic disease and the introduction of increasingly accurate and personalized anti-cancer treatments have significantly improved the chances of survival of most cancer patients, particularly at a young age. Since the interest of the research community in the life prospects of young cancer survivors has been growing, a new branch of medicine has emerged in recent years that reconciles the potentially gonadotoxic treatments of cancer with the preservation of fertility: oncofertility. The possibility of preserving one’s fertility can be of great benefit for the psychological well-being of cancer patients, whose mental health is already severely tested by the cancer diagnosis. Although national and international guidelines urge doctors to start early a discussion on fertility conservation issues (reproductive counseling), still little is known as to the awareness of oncofertility by young cancer survivors and the information they receive about it.

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