Creating a Global Community of Practice for Oncofertility

Abstract

Fertility preservation in the cancer setting, known as oncofertility, is a field that requires cross-disciplinary interaction between physicians, basic scientists, clinical researchers, ethicists, lawyers, educators, and religious leaders. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Oncofertility Consortium (OC) was formed to be a scientifically grounded, transparent, and altruistic resource, both intellectual and monetary, for building this new field of practice capable of addressing the unique needs of young patients with cancer. The OC has expanded its attention to include other nonmalignant conditions that can threaten fertility, and the work of the OC now extends around the globe, involving partners who together have created a community of shared effort, resources, and practices. The OC creates materials that are translated, disseminated, and amended by all participants in the field, and local programs of excellence have developed worldwide to accelerate the pace and improve the quality of oncofertility research and practice. Here we review the global oncofertility programs and the capacity building activities that strengthen these research and clinical programs, ultimately improving patient care.

Barriers and Opportunities of Oncofertility Practice in Nine Developing Countries and the Emerging Oncofertility Professional Engagement Network

“… 25 These teams have created a series of intellectual and didactic products, but until now this work has largely been segregated within domestic and international sites. 1 - 4 To capture the full intellectual capacity of the group, OPEN will create a framework by which the entire field can first share information, then translate it to fit the individual needs of each unique center, thereby transforming the field into a globally recognized, yet culturally sensitive, field. 26…”

“…The Oncofertility Consortium Global Partners Network (OCGPN), established at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, aims to provide edification and modeling to oncofertility providers around the globe, especially in developing countries that lack several health services related to cancer care. 1 - 3 Limited resources in the developing countries makes their proper allocation and exploitation of the utmost necessity, particularly in a new and complex medical field, such as oncofertility. Recently, OCGPN has published a pilot survey concerning oncofertility practice in five developing countries—Egypt, Tunisia, Brazil, Peru, and Panama.…”

Regional air transportation of ovarian tissue for cryopreservation in a prepubertal female with cancer

“…The Oncofertility Consortium is a NIH-funded cooperative with over 140 oncofertility centers in the United States, 35 of which offer OTC. 24,25 Three different types of FP programs are described: full-service programs, limited programs that can procure but not preserve tissue, and education and consultation programs. 3 Limited FP programs require the ability to transport harvested tissue to a full-service center.…”

“…Due to the many resources required, there are a limited number of centers available in the United States. The Oncofertility Consortium is a NIH‐funded cooperative with over 140 oncofertility centers in the United States, 35 of which offer OTC 24,25 . Three different types of FP programs are described: full‐service programs, limited programs that can procure but not preserve tissue, and education and consultation programs 3 …”

A modified hydrostatic microfluidic pumpless device for in vitro murine ovarian tissue culture as research model for fertility preservation

“…Fertility preservation in cancer patients of childbearing age has grown expeditiously over the last decade [1,2]. Among the established fertility preservation techniques in women [1][2][3], compared to ovarian tissue transplantation, in vitro follicle growth (IVG) by ovarian tissue culture was recently introduced as an alternative approach to restore fertility without malignancy reintroduction [4]. In this method, ovarian cortical strips are cultured as flattened sheets under supporting matrix conditions [4][5][6].…”