title: Oncofertility: a grand collaboration between reproductive medicine and oncology.
abstract: In 2007, I was asked by the University of Calgary to participate in a symposium called 'Pushing the Boundaries--Advances that Will Change the World in 20 Years'. My topic was oncofertility, a word I had just coined to describe the intersection of two disciplines--oncology and fertility--and I was thrilled to share my passion for this new field and help young women with cancer protect their future reproductive health. Fertility preservation in the cancer setting lacked a concerted effort to bridge the disciplines in an organized manner. In early 2015, I was delighted to deliver a presentation for the Society for Reproduction and Fertility titled 'Sex in Three Cities', where I gave an update on the oncofertility movement, a remarkable cross-disciplinary, global collaboration created to address the fertility preservation needs of young cancer patients. During my tour of the UK, I was impressed by the interest among the society and its members to engage colleagues outside the discipline as well as the public in a dialogue about cutting-edge reproductive science. In this invited review, I will describe the work of the Oncofertility Consortium to provide fertility preservation options in the cancer setting and accelerate the acceptance of this critical topic on a global scale. I hope that one day this word and field it created will change the world for women who had been left out of the equation for far too long.
authors.affiliation: The Thomas J Watkins Professor of Obstetrics and GynecologyDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 303 E Superior Street, Lurie 10-250, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA tkw@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Teresa K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Woodruff
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends; D011247:Pregnancy; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D018456:Reproductive Medicine / Q000266:history / Q000639:trends
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents