University Clinic and Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology offer fertility treatment to cancer patients
10 women have so far been able to freeze their ova for further fertilization.
Gynecologist Nailya Bakirova comments, “In today’s world, women are putting off childbirth until later in life. There are cases when they live to see cancer before they have children. Advances in modern oncology allow 80 percent of cancer patients to be completely cured. After recovery, the patient returns to normal life and wants to fulfill all human needs, including having children. Patients who have gone through radiation therapy during cancer treatment lose this function. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a reproduction expert before starting treatment.”
Onco-fertility studies the possibility of preserving reproductive cells before cancer treatment. The problem is that most patients are not informed about the possibility in a timely manner. Therefore, the main task is to inform men and women, so that after learning about the initial stage of cancer – and that they will have to go through chemotherapy and radiation therapy – patients have information about the possibility of cryo-preservation of sperm and eggs.
“This is a very important psychological moment – patients realize that they will be cured and then become parents. This helps them a lot in the fight against cancer, motivates them to get better and continue living. In our practice we have a successful experience of egg freezing in a 20-year-old woman who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We were also approached by two childless sisters, one of whom lost her reproductive organs during treatment, while the other was diagnosed with cancer and was also threatened with organ-killing surgery. It was very important for them to preserve the material for the future, and we helped them to do so,” continues the doctor.
The Onco-Fertility project aims to unite medical professionals from different areas and institutions in helping cancer survivors fulfill their aims in family planning. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of KFU is in charge of that.
“Colleagues in Moscow and St. Petersburg have been doing this for a long time, but not all patients have the opportunity to travel to the capital cities from to give their biological material. I work part-time at the Republican Clinical Oncological Hospital and the fact that this help is closer to patients from the districts of our Republic who come to Kazan for treatment is very encouraging. These technologies are becoming more accessible for them,” comments Senior Lecturer Elmira Shakirova.
The whole procedure of cryo-conservation, which for oncological patients is different from the usual one, takes 10 to 12 days. It’s especially important because many patients go through organ removal, and Russian law only permits surrogacy if the client’s own genetic material is used.