“Egg freezing can preserve female cancer patients’ fertility before undergoing chemotherapy.”
On August 28, 2014, Andrea Starling of WJLA (ABC) interviewed Jim and Mary Craige, former oncofertility patients at Shady Grove Fertility.
Mary & Jim: Adapting to an Unexpected Diagnosis
Mary and Jim Craige were married in 2007 and welcomed their first son, Liam, in 2009. In February 2010, Mary discovered a lump in her breast during a routine self-exam. Six weeks later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34. Though the Craiges had been planning to have another baby, their focus shifted to Mary’s treatment. Her cancer was highly aggressive, leading her oncologist to recommend chemotherapy, radiation, and endocrine therapy. While they were eager to start treatment, they were startled to discover chemotherapy’s negative effect on fertility: Mary would go into menopause and experience premature ovarian failure.
Chemotherapy and Fertility Preservation
Mary’s oncologist referred her to Shady Grove Fertility to explore her fertility preservation options. Shady Grove Fertility is at the forefront of oncofertility, a field representing the partnership of cancer and infertility treatments between a patient’s oncologist and reproductive endocrinologist. Shady Grove Fertility has created a special cancer team to immediately respond to patient inquiries, help them understand their options, collaborate with oncologists, and expedite fertility preservation treatment when appropriate.
“Women need to act immediately when diagnosed with cancer, as they only have a month or two to extract their eggs before their treatment begins,” says David S. Saffan, M.D. of Shady Grove Fertility’s Annandale, VA office. Under Dr. Saffan’s care, Mary had her eggs retrieved and inseminated through in vitro fertilization (IVF), freezing the embryos for a future date.
Three years later, when Mary received the go-ahead from her oncologist, she returned to Shady Grove Fertility to transfer her embryos. With only two embryos still eligible for transfer, she had them both implanted. Nine days later she discovered that she was pregnant. In January 2014, Jim and Mary welcomed their son Gavin into the family. “I’m healthy and we have a healthy baby and he’s our miracle. We are very blessed to have him,” said Mary.
Mary has been cancer-free for five years.
Watch Jim & Mary share their oncofertility story on WJLA.
The Cost of Treatment
While fertility preservation like Mary’s can be costly, her insurance covered roughly half of her treatment, and her medication costs were covered by Fertile Hope (Livestrong Foundation), a non-profit association. Shady Grove Fertility works closely with Fertile Hope to help patients access the care they need. Read their Cancer & Fertility Education Booklet. Shady Grove Fertility also has a variety of financial programs to assist patients on their oncofertility journey.
If you would like to learn more about oncofertility treatment and fertility preservation at Shady Grove Fertility, please contact a New Patient Liaison at 1-877-971-7755 or complete this inquiry form to learn more.
