Factors in Fertility Preservation Knowledge in Adolescents with Cancer Identified

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

Medical factors, socioeconomic data, and patients’ child-rearing status were all found to be associated with knowledge and action regarding fertility preservation in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer, according to an article published online in the journal Cancer.

The study included 459 AYA patients diagnosed with cancer between 2007 and 2008. The participants completed questionnaires, which were analyzed using sex-specific multivariable models.

Results showed males without a medical oncologist were more likely to not be told their fertility may be affected by treatment, compared to those with a medical oncologist (male odds ratio [OR], 2.28; 95% CI: 1.03, 5.00).

Furthermore, the following categories of patients were more likely to not discuss information about fertility preservation with health care professionals, individuals without insurance (male OR, 2.91; 95% CI: 1.41, 5.91 and female OR, 5.46; 95% CI: 1.59, 18.72); those raising children younger than 18 years; and, among males only, those who received treatment posing no or a low fertility risk (OR, 3.39; 95% CI: 1.60, 7.16).

Males without a college degree (OR, 1.98; 95% CI: 1.00, 3.97), without private insurance (OR, 2.97; 95% CI: 1.16, 7.63), and raising children younger than 18 years (OR, 3.53; 95% CI: 1.63, 7.65) were also less likely to discuss knowledge about or arrange fertility preservation preparations. Similar analysis could not be performed on females because too few had made fertility preservation arrangements.