title: Oncologists and hematologists' perceptions of fertility-related communication - a nationwide survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the negative impacts of several cancer treatments on fertility, many patients do not recall having fertility-related discussions with their physicians. This study was conducted to identify those factors related to physicians' discussing the treatment impacts on fertility with cancer patients of reproductive age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this nationwide survey of cancer care physicians (n = 329, response rate 55%), oncologists and hematologists (mainly) completed a questionnaire on practice behavior, barriers, attitudes and confidence in knowledge regarding treatment-related fertility risks. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with not routinely discussing fertility issues with patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the physicians agreed that they were responsible for discussing fertility issues with patients of reproductive age (91%), but approximately 30% did not do so regularly. Those factors decreasing the likelihood of discussion were: patient already had children (female/male OR 3.0/6.9), high workload (OR 3.3/4.8), seeing <5 female/male patients of reproductive age weekly (OR 3.2/3.4) and access to a reproduction clinic (OR 5.2/4.2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most Swedish oncologists and hematologists regularly discuss impact of treatment on fertility with their patients. Those factors having a negative impact on fertility discussions may guide targeted organizational and educational efforts to further improve fertility-related communication in cancer care.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Micaux Obol
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden.|b Department of Oncology-Pathology , Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Armuand
authors.affiliation: b Department of Oncology-Pathology , Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|c Reproductive Medicine Karolinska , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Wallberg
authors.affiliation: d Department of Oncology , University of Örebro , Örebro , Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahlgren
authors.affiliation: e Departments of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation and Hematology , Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.|f Department of Medicine Huddinge, Division of Hematology , Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ljungman
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wettergren
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing , Karolinska Institutet , Huddinge , Sweden.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lampic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D000072103:Oncologists / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'