Frozen in Time

Preserve and Prolong Fertility

By Kelly Burgess

This is much more than an academic discussion to Lindsay Nohr Beck. At age 22, she was diagnosed with tongue cancer, which recurred two years later. She was as worried about being left infertile by the treatments as she was about survival, but when she tried to discuss the issue of infertility with her oncologists, they had little information. Their only concern was her survival. "When I was diagnosed with cancer, there was little overlap between cancer and fertility," says Beck. "Most fertility clinics focused on married, infertile people, while cancer doctors focused on the cancer."

After a desperate round of phone calls, she finally went through an expensive, experimental procedure called oocyte preservation, which involves freezing unfertilized eggs. She also went on to create Fertile Hope, a group devoted to information and research on fertility preservation options. Thanks in part to her efforts, cancer patients are now much more likely to be informed about their options for long-term fertility preservation.

Dr. Lederer points out that it's important to know the type of fertility preservation that's right for your own circumstance. Egg freezing may be the best idea for a woman in her early 20s without a partner, but there may be better options for an older woman with a partner. For a woman with a partner, freezing a fertilized egg probably offers the best chance for success. For a younger woman, ovarian tissue freezing and oocyte preservationare probably more realistic choices.

Dr. Sherman B. Silber, director of the Infertility Center of St. Louis at St. Luke's Hospital and author of How to Get Pregnant

Want to see more?

• Fertile Hope: Cancer Patients and Fertility
• From Tragedy to Triumph: Fighting for Fertility During Serious Health Issues
• Sharing the Struggle: Should You or Shouldn't You?
• Talk about it!