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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : February 4, 2021 9:13 AM IST
The dream of parenthood is a long-cherished one for many couples, and the inability to have one irrespective of the reason can result in a crushing blow to those dreams and aspirations. Many times, the dreams are shattered not by inherent fertility issues but as a result of the collateral damage suffered due to treatment of cancer and other autoimmune diseases. These are particularly hard to accept because individuals are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do they continue with the treatment and risk infertility, or do they avoid treatment and risk fatality? And while there are no clear answers, treatment is the option picked, and rightfully so. This means a very real and pertinent possibility of infertility, and the inability to have children in the future.
Cancer and autoimmune diseases are now affecting a much younger profile of patients, and many cancers are being detected at a much earlier stage. These patients are adversely getting affected in their reproductive functions due to the cancer treatment and thus at the higher risk for infertility. But, not anymore! Fertility preservation is now a possibility for couples/individuals grappling with such a difficult choice and facing such a challenging predicament. The need for fertility preservation has increased sharply over the years as a lot of patients suffering from cancer seek avenues for having children in the future.
Over the last few years, it has been seen that a lot of patients secondary to cancer diagnosis being referred to us for fertility solutions, cancer, patients with Rheumatic conditions and some autoimmune and idiopathic conditions are associated with a high risk of the male or female patient losing their fertility.
Fertility preservation involves saving one's gametes eggs, sperm, or reproductive tissues such that the same can be used in the future to have biological offspring. Thus, aiding the possibility of cancer patients having the ability to retain their fertility and the possibility of biological procreation which gets hampered by the cancer treatment.
In terms of the possible solution, there are various options now available, and each of these is given to the patient. This includes embryo cryopreservation egg or oocyte cryopreservation or semen freezing.
In terms of quantifiable numbers, our experts lately treated over 200 patients and given the solution of fertility preservation with the latest facilities. As societal awareness and acceptance continue to increase, there is a higher demand for such services amongst the cross-section of the society.
Cryo-preservation is the solution, be it fertility preservation for cancer patients or social freezing, we have been seeing that there is a greater awareness on the fertility preservation in the society. I believe that apart from the best of the technologies, the holistic and a team approach of treating a cancer survivor with the help of the fertility specialist, embryologist, psychologist and a diet therapist is what makes you stand uniquely as a fertility care centre.
(Inputs By Dr. Durga Rao Co-Founder and Medical Director, Oasis Fertility)
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