Oncofertility Clinical Trials at Penn
Researchers and clinicians within the Roadmap Interdisciplinary Oncofertility Consortium are working to develop new techniques for the long-term preservation of human ovarian tissue and a method to regulate oocyte (egg) development in vitro. The program's goal is to one day use cryopreserved ovarian tissue or oocytes to initiate pregnancies once cancer treatment has been completed.
Research in oocyte development requires ovarian tissue. Therefore, Penn's Reproductive Research Unit is reaching out to women who are interested in pursuing an option for preserving their fertility, while at the same time furthering reproductive research.
Participants in this program will have part of an ovary, or one ovary removed with the understanding that at least 80 percent of it will be cryopreserved for future personal use. The remaining 20 percent of the ovary will be used to explore the practicality of extracting immature oocytes and allowing them to develop in an artificial environment.
The following active clinical trials related to the reproductive needs of the cancer patient are available at the Reproductive Research Unit (RRU) at Penn Fertility Care.
For
Cancer Patients Before Treatment |
Patients
between the ages of 15 to 30 years may
participate in a study measuring ovarian
functioning over time. Eligible women
will be asked to complete a questionnaire,
a brief physical examination, an ultrasound,
urine collection, and a blood test before,
during and after cancer treatment. Visits
will occur every three months for a total
of seven visits over 18 months. Every
attempt will be made to coordinate visits
with scheduled treatments. |
Patients
18 to 42 may participate in a study to
preserve ovarian tissue. Participants
will undergo surgical removal of ovarian
tissue. 80 percent of the tissue will
be frozen and stored for the patient's
future use. 20 percent of the tissue
will be used for research purposes – specifically
studies that are being conducted to see
if the eggs can be matured in vitro. |
For
Cancer Survivors After Treatment |
Cancer
survivors 15 to 42 years of age with
a history of treatment with chemotherapy
or radiation are eligible to participate
in this study. Eligible women will be
asked to come to the Reproductive Research
Unit at Penn Fertility Care to complete
a questionnaire, a brief physical examination,
an ultrasound and a blood test. In addition,
participants have the option to undergo
yearly testing to assess changing ovarian
function over time after cancer therapy.
In
addition, participants in the above study
will have the option of undergoing an
additional more sensitive test to assess
their ovarian function. This test is
called the clomiphene challenge test
and involves taking clomiphene citrate
for five days and having a repeat blood
draw on the 10th day of the menstrual
cycle. |
To find out more information or to determine eligibility for these or other clinical trials, call 800-789-PENN or 215-662-7727.
Related information:
- OncoLink/EmergingMed Cancer - Clinical Trials Matching Service
EmergingMed's free Cancer Clinical Trial
Matching & Referral Service is made
available to OncoLink visitors. Simply
fill out a single questionnaire and
within seconds you will know if your patient
profile matches any clinical trials at
the Abramson Cancer Center of the University
of Pennsylvania.
For more information log on to OncoLink/EmergingMed
Cancer web site.
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