When a child, teenager, or young adult is diagnosed with melanoma or other cancers, the immediate response is to jump into treatment as soon as possible to blast it out of the body. But before diving into surgeries, chemotherapy, or other drug therapies, it’s equally important to take a breath, step back, and consider the long game; the quality of that young person’s life once the cancer is gone.

Infertility is a special concern for anyone facing cancer, but it’s crucial for young people with bodies still growing, developing, and maturing.

Your child’s risk of infertility will depend on the type of cancer they have and the recommended treatment. Tackle the issue early through conversations with your oncologist and pediatrician. Don’t expect them to come to you. You need to take the initiative! Teenagers should be directly involved in the conversation themselves, but be ready to step in if they become overwhelmed or hesitant to open the discussion.

Educate yourself and have a list of questions ready! Options for young patients have come so far in recent years. That includes Cryopreservation, or the freezing of ovarian and testicular tissue in infants, as well as the preservation of eggs, sperm, and embryos in teens and young adults.

In our most recent episode of An Unexpected Life, Marianne Banister dives into the world of fertility preservation with those who help young cancer survivors create families. Our guests are Megan Scherer of Worth the Wait Charity and Kara Bendle of the Cleveland Clinic’s AYA Fertility Preservation Program. 

You can find An Unexpected Life on Youtube or where you listen to all your favorites. Here is a direct link: http://www.clairemariefoundation.org/.podcast/