Ke Ju1,2, Megan Kopp1, Yuqing Wang1,2, Gehui Yuan1,2, Weiwei Zheng3, Lauren M Ataman4, Teresa K Woodruff4, Qionghua Chen5, Shuo Xiao1. 1. 1 Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. 2. 2 Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. 3. 3 Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety, Ministry of Education, Institution for Water Pollution and Health Research, Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. 4. 4 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois. 5. 5 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Oncofertility is a newly developed medical field dedicated to preserving adolescent and young adult-aged cancer patients' fertility. For female cancer patients who desire to have children, fertility preservation has become an important concern before the cancer therapy. This study for the first time aimed to investigate attitude and knowledge regarding female fertility preservation among reproductive health professionals in China. METHODS: An online questionnaire assessing participants' demographics, experience, attitude, and basic knowledge regarding oncofertility was designed and distributed to reproductive health professionals in Fujian, one of the major regions for cancer and reproductive care in southeast China. RESULTS: The majority of participants (96.6%) who were familiar with fertility preservation were willing to collaborate with oncologists on preserving patients' fertility. However, ∼20% of participants were not familiar with the term fertility preservation, and 30.4% and 52.2% of them were never consulted by a cancer patient or an oncologist about the infertility risk from cancer therapy, respectively. Years of working experience, but not gender, educational background, and marital status, was significantly associated with participants' oncofertility experience and attitude. A majority of participants (79.3%) had a middle or low level of oncofertility knowledge, which was significantly linked to their educational background. CONCLUSION: Most of the surveyed reproductive health professionals held a positive attitude toward interdisciplinary collaboration with oncologists during oncofertility practice. However, the lack of their oncofertility knowledge highlighted the need of standard oncofertility education and training in China.
PURPOSE: Oncofertility is a newly developed medical field dedicated to preserving adolescent and young adult-aged cancerpatients' fertility. For female cancerpatients who desire to have children, fertility preservation has become an important concern before the cancer therapy. This study for the first time aimed to investigate attitude and knowledge regarding female fertility preservation among reproductive health professionals in China. METHODS: An online questionnaire assessing participants' demographics, experience, attitude, and basic knowledge regarding oncofertility was designed and distributed to reproductive health professionals in Fujian, one of the major regions for cancer and reproductive care in southeast China. RESULTS: The majority of participants (96.6%) who were familiar with fertility preservation were willing to collaborate with oncologists on preserving patients' fertility. However, ∼20% of participants were not familiar with the term fertility preservation, and 30.4% and 52.2% of them were never consulted by a cancerpatient or an oncologist about the infertility risk from cancer therapy, respectively. Years of working experience, but not gender, educational background, and marital status, was significantly associated with participants' oncofertility experience and attitude. A majority of participants (79.3%) had a middle or low level of oncofertility knowledge, which was significantly linked to their educational background. CONCLUSION: Most of the surveyed reproductive health professionals held a positive attitude toward interdisciplinary collaboration with oncologists during oncofertility practice. However, the lack of their oncofertility knowledge highlighted the need of standard oncofertility education and training in China.
Entities:
Keywords:
Chinese reproductive health professional; cancer therapy; female fertility preservation; oncofertility
Authors: Pietro Bortoletto; Rafael Confino; Brigid M Smith; Teresa K Woodruff; Mary Ellen Pavone Journal: J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol Date: 2017-05-01 Impact factor: 2.223
Authors: Margarett Shnorhavorian; Linda C Harlan; Ashley Wilder Smith; Theresa H M Keegan; Charles F Lynch; Pinki K Prasad; Rosemary D Cress; Xiao-Cheng Wu; Ann S Hamilton; Helen M Parsons; Gretchen Keel; Sarah E Charlesworth; Stephen M Schwartz Journal: Cancer Date: 2015-07-27 Impact factor: 6.860