PHILADELPHIA – Few templates exist for creating a pediatric oncofertility clinic, particularly in the context of the nascent trend of pediatric oncologists treating adults with pediatric cancers.
Dr. Karen Burns is a pediatric oncologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who was part of the team that created that institution’s own oncofertility clinic. She offered tips to others who are interested in creating a similar clinic or who would like to incorporate protocols honoring ASCO’s recent position statement that all persons with cancer deserve the right to have fertility discussed as part of their standard of care.
In this audio interview, from the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Dr. Burns addresses the challenges of treating adults with pediatric cancers, having conversations about fertility with minors, the role of advance directives in oncofertility, and what burdens oncologists with patients in these situations face and how they can be eased by working with a team.
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