title: Oncologists' practice and attitudes regarding fertility preservation in female cancer patients: a pilot study in the Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess oncologists' practice and attitudes regarding treatment-related infertility and fertility preservation in female cancer patients of reproductive age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recruitment letters with a 7-item questionnaire were sent to 454 oncologists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and six of the 454 physicians (45%) responded and 96 questionnaires were used for analysis. The sample included 28 (29%) gynaecologists, 22 (23%) medical oncologists, 19 (20%) surgeons, 16 (17%) radiotherapists and 11 (12%) haematologists. Sixty-two percent of the physicians took action to protect ovarian function before or during gonadotoxic therapy. The most important reason for not offering fertility preservation was "factors concerning the disease". About one-third of the oncologists did not discuss fertility issues. Nearly half of the physicians (43%) would offer fertility preservation options, if they were standardized. High importance was given by almost all physicians (96%) to quality of life in general after gonadotoxic therapy and to the provision of information about fertility preservation options (81%). However, when asked about the importance of infertility after a malignancy, a smaller majority of the physicians (59%) gave it high importance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most physicians considered infertility to be a major issue to be discussed, and most intended to take action to protect ovarian function before or during gonadotoxic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. l.a.louwe@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Leoni A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Louwé
authors.forename: Moniek M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: ter Kuile
authors.forename: Carina G J M
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Hilders
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jenninga
authors.forename: Sanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Tiemessen
authors.forename: Alexander A W
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Johan W R
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Nortier
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stiggelbout
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000523:psychology*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009426:Netherlands; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires