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,” sstates 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.
|
