Future Fertility: Fertility Understanding Through Registry and Evaluation

It is well known that treatments for cancer in both children and adults can affect their future fertility. The types of cancer treatments and the age at which they are given produce different effects in men and women and can variably affect their ability to conceive children. However, it is difficult to predict which people will have fertility concerns in the future, therefore doctors need better information so that they can provide the best advice to their patients.

Along with other units across Australia, 0ur scientists are embarking on a major effort to produce a database called the Australasian Oncofertility Registry (AOFR) that will collect data from cancer and fertility centres. This will provide a centralised resource that will be able to link cancer types and treatments with information on individual fertility outcomes. The resource will also collect information on the uptake of fertility preservation methods (such as freezing of sperm, eggs and ovarian tissue) as well as the future use and success of assisted reproduction treatments.

This database will serve as a platform for research studies that will lead to a better understanding of how specific cancer therapies influence future fertility prospects. This research will guide clinicians when recommending whether patients may need to undergo fertility preservation and/or future assisted reproduction.