Shady Grove Fertility’s research team presented an award-winning study at ASRM 2022 that can provide reassurance for patients undergoing fertility preservation treatment following a cancer diagnosis.
New research from Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), conducted with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the School of Public Health, has shown that patients with a recent cancer diagnosis can expect comparable results from fertility preservation treatment to those who are undergoing elective egg-freezing.
Presented this week at the 78th ASRM Scientific Congress & Expo in Anaheim, California, the study was selected as the Fertility Preservation Special Interest Group Prize Paper. The study, Ovarian Response and Anti-Mullerian Hormone in Fertility Preservation Versus Elective Oocyte Cryopreservation Cycles: A Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Registry Study of 10,040 Cycles, was conducted by Ivy Lersten, M.D., University of Colorado School of Medicine and SGF fellow; Angela J. Fought, University of Colorado School of Public Health; and Cassandra Roeca, M.D., SGF physician who sees patients at SGF Colorado’s Denver location.
This national retrospective cohort study of ovarian response and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation treatment compared to patients who are electively freezing their eggs looked at data from 10,040 cycles from the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) registry and found the relationship between the number of eggs retrieved or cryopreserved and AMH did not differ for fertility preservation versus elective egg freezing groups.
“The relationship between AMH levels and ovarian response to fertility treatment is well established,” shares Dr. Roeca. “We wanted to investigate whether this relationship is preserved for patients with a recent cancer diagnosis.”
The study concludes that the relationship between retrieved and frozen eggs, as well as AMH levels, for cancer patients undergoing fertility preservation treatment are comparable to those who are electively freezing their eggs. This new information can provide additional reassurance for patients with cancer who are planning to have biological children in the future.
“At SGF, we know the importance of innovative, evidence-based fertility care,” adds Dr. Roeca. “With this new information, we can better counsel patients and reassure them that their cancer diagnosis does not have to mean the end of their family-building dreams.”
SGF is one of only a few private practice fertility centers in the country to employ a full-time dedicated research team, which operates under Director of Research, Kate Devine, M.D., a board certified reproductive endocrinologist who sees patients at SGF’s Washington, D.C., K Street location. Dr. Devine also serves as the Executive Medical Director and Chief Research Officer at US Fertility, the largest network of physician-owned and physician-led fertility practices in the United States, of which SGF is a founding partner practice.
To best serve patients newly diagnosed with cancer, SGF works closely with patients and their cancer team to ensure that all patients interested in fertility preservation will receive an immediate consultation and best preservation options based on their cancer treatment plan.
As a premier IVF and fertility center of excellence, SGF continues to make a sustained commitment to clinical research and educating physicians in training.
To learn more about ongoing research being conducted at SGF, visit http://www.shadygrovefertility.com/research.
About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF)
SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 100,000 babies born from 30+ years of continuous innovation and patient-centered fertility care. With convenient locations throughout the U.S. and in Santiago, Chile, SGF accepts most insurance plans and makes fertility treatment accessible and affordable through innovative financial solutions, including 100% refund guarantees for eligible patients. SGF is a proud partner practice of US Fertility, the largest physician-owned and physician-led partnership of top-tier fertility practices nationally. Call 1-888-761-1967 to schedule a new patient appointment or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com for more information.
