Help for Cancer Patients to Access
Fertility Preservation Treatments
All of the standard therapies for cancer, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy — can have a negative affect on fertility. Cancer affects people of all ages, including men and women of childbearing age — this group of cancer patients often look for fertility preservation treatment options — however, the cost of fertility preservation can be an issue.
“The cost of fertility treatment should not be a barrier to providing cancer patients the ability to preserve their fertility,” states Christos Coutifaris, MD, PhD, Director of Penn Fertility Care at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Dr. Coutifaris continues, “Our program is working with Fertile Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping cancer patients faced with infertility, to increase access to fertility preservation treatments for cancer patients through a financial assistance program called Sharing Hope.”
The Sharing Hope program for women helps reduce the cost of embryo freezing procedures by 50 to 75 percent for qualifying cancer patients whose medical treatments put them at risk for infertility.
The services include:
- Penn Fertility Care will offer one cycle of embryo freezing at a significantly reduced rate.
- Certain medications prescribed by the reproductive endocrinologist will be provided free of charge through a donation from Serono, Inc.
Penn Fertility Care is located in Philadelphia, and offers many other specialized services, including in vitro fertilization and a Donor Egg Program. To make an appointment, please call 1-800-789-PENN (7366) or request an appointment online.
Fertile Hope also offers a fertility preservation program for men. For more information about all Sharing Hope programs contact 1-888-994-HOPE or visit www.fertilehope.org.
Disclaimer: The Sharing Hope programs for women and men are sponsored in part by GIVF Cryobanks, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and Serono, Inc. The University of Pennsylvania Health System does not necessarily endorse, recommend or approve these institutions.
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