Having Children After Cancer
How to Make Informed Choices Before and After Treatment and Build the Family of Your Dreams
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Yes, you can have children after cancer.
When faced with a cancer diagnosis, many doctors and patients rush full-speed ahead into treatment, giving minimal attention to the potential fertility implications. Luckily, the field of oncofertility is growing quickly, and medical writer Gina Shaw, herself a cancer survivor, is ready to unravel the complex and evolving issues involved in pre- and post-cancer fertility and family-building options—for both men and women. Having Children After Cancer gives you all the tools you need to:
Understand how different cancers can affect fertilityIdentify which treatments―chemo, radiation, and surgery―can potentially impair your fertilityDiscuss fertility-sparing treatment options with your doctorSelect the fertility preservation method that’s right for you—from freezing eggs, embryos, and sperm to preserving ovarian tissueAnalyze the chances of getting pregnant—using natural methods and with in vitro fertilizationDeterminethe best time to get pregnant (and which drug therapies to avoid while doing so)Have a healthy post-cancer pregnancyNavigate surrogacy and what to tell prospective candidates about your medical historyConsider adoption and learn about survivor-friendly adoption programs and countriesFind sample medical letters and other insurance-company red-tape busting information Think through the implications of mother- and fatherhood after cancerFigure out how to talk to your children about the big CWith a foreword by top oncologist Hope Rugo of the UCSF Cancer Center, this first and only cancer-and-fertility guide for patients and survivors will allow you to be your own best advocate throughout the journey.
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Shaw, a health and medical writer, breast cancer survivor, and mother of three, focuses on both practical and personal matters in this accessible, comprehensive look at becoming a parent after cancer. Diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36 and wary of pregnancy when her treatments ended, Shaw adopted a child, but later gave birth to two more. She maintains that while cancer treatment can put fertility at risk, damaging sperm and/or eggs, there is no reason why the disease should close the door to future parenthood. And while both cancer itself and treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation may cause fertility problems ranging from premature menopause to damaged DNA, there are many available solutions. The author urges couples to talk to their physicians about fertility issues as soon as possible, and walks readers through such options as egg, embryo, and ovarian tissue freezing for women and sperm banking for men. She maintains that the odds of getting one's fertility back after cancer may be better than expected, but helpfully also covers such alternatives as egg donors, surrogacy, and adoption. This is an invaluable guidebook for couples journeying into parenthood after cancer.
