Fertility & Cancer
- Sammy Gray was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy, radiation, and CAR-T cell therapy.
- Despite undergoing chemotherapy and losing her periods during cancer treatment, she was able to conceive a second baby naturally.
- People diagnosed with cancer who wish to have a family one day should speak with their care team about ways to preserve fertility through cancer.
Gray’s story underscores the importance of listening to your body and speaking with your cancer care provider about fertility-preserving options prior to treatment if you wish to have a family one day.
Sammy’s Cancer Story
Read MoreThe most common types of blood cancers include Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society reports that every 3 minutes, one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with a blood cancer. This year alone, approximately 186,400 people will be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma.
Some people may have an elevated risk of developing for blood cancers like lymphoma. Here are some reasons which may put you in a higher risk category for lymphoma:
- You have been infected with the HIV or Epstein-Barr virus
- You have had an organ transplant
- You have a family history of lymphoma
- You have been treated with radiation or chemotherapy drugs for cancer in the past
- You have an autoimmune disease
- Speak with your doctor about your family's cancer history, if any, and ways you can stay on top of your screenings and limit risk factors for all cancers
Finding Lymphoma Early, Do You Know the Risks?
Fertility & Cancer Treatments
For people who want to have a family and are diagnosed with cancer, speak with your oncologist about ways to preserve your fertility prior to cancer treatment. People diagnosed with cervical cancer, testicular cancer, and related reproductive cancers can go on to have healthy families, thanks to modern fertility treatments like egg freezing, sperm freezing, and IVF.
In an earlier interview, Dr. Michael Ulm, a Gynecologic Oncologist at West Cancer Center, discusses with SurvivorNet the fertility-related discussions he has with patients facing ovarian cancer. Dr. Ulm says, “In general, when I have patients who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, one of the things I do talk to them about is their desire for future fertility because, obviously, that’s a big quality of life issue.”
“And a lot of it depends on the stage of their cancer and the type of their cancer,” he explains. “Certainly, patients with Stage 1A ovarian cancer, which is where it’s just confined to the ovary, they’re candidates for what’s called fertility-sparing staging, where we try to leave the other ovary and tube. We try to leave the uterus and cervix, and our goal is normally to debulk the disease and stage the ovarian cancer in a way that spares the remaining tube and ovaries, as well as the uterus and cervix.”
Preserving Your Fertility Before Ovarian Cancer Treatment
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