For Cancer Patients Wanting to Preserve their Fertility
As the time frame before cancer treatment starts may be limited, every attempt will be made to schedule an appointment for you to meet with our Onco-fertility team within a few days of your request.
Due to advances in cancer therapy, many women and men are successfully treated and survive cancer, hence live normal and productive lives thereafter. For some, returning to a “normal” life includes having children.
What is OncoFertility?
Advances in medical technology now allows women to preserve their eggs while they are still of good quality or when they are faced with treatment that may compromise their egg quality or reduce the number of resident eggs that may predispose them to premature menopause. The discipline of Onco-fertility started in 2007 has brought together basic scientists, medical research, oncologists and fertility specialists, that now provide real options to young people who survive life-preserving, but fertility-threatening, treatments for cancer. Onco-fertility is also applicable to men who as in women face treatment for cancer that can compromise future sperm production and their future fertility.
Treatments we offer
Egg or Sperm Freezing
Women diagnosed with cancer both with and without a committed partner have the option to store frozen, unfertilized eggs (oocytes) or frozen, fertilized eggs (embryos). Men diagnosed with cancer can provide a sperm sample that will be evaluated and stored for future use.
Ovary Freezing
A laparoscopic surgery is performed to remove and cryopreserve the ovaries, termed Cryopreservation of Ovarian Tissue . The goal is to freeze the ovaries and transplant it back to the woman at a later to restore fertility to enable them have children after cancer treatment. The thawed ovarian tissue is surgically implanted back into the pelvis, or into the abdominal wall whereupon the transplanted tissue can then start to function again, producing eggs and restoring fertility. The process of placing transplanted ovaries outside the pelvic cavity is termed heterotopic auto-transplantation. In this case, the ovary is transplanted in other areas such as the subcutaneous abdominal wall or forearm. This approach offers advantages such as simpler surgery and the potential for easier monitoring of the graft. There are now reports of restoration of regular menses, normalization of hormone levels, and successful pregnancies after transplantation of frozen-thawed ovarian tissue. Although this is a promising proposition, it's crucial to consider the risks, especially depending on the type of cancer, as there's a potential for reintroducing malignant cells back to the patient. The transplanted tissue may also be rejected by the body and not function as it should. Other complications applicable to surgical procedures such as infection, pain, bleeding, or damage to surrounding structures need to be explained to patients. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is particularly good for pre-pubertal girls facing cancer treatment.
Those seeking fertility consultation after cancer treatment
For those presenting for fertility treatment after undergoing cancer treatment without prior cryopreservation of egg or sperm, you still have options. Such individual can still treatment using donor Sperm and donor Eggs. Donor sperm can be obtained from a sperm bank for men that can used by their partner. The sperm is processed and at the appropriate time inserted into their spouse’s uterus with or with ovarian stimulation in a treatment process called intrauterine insemination (IUI).  is the treatment. Similarly, donor eggs can be chosen for women that no longer can produce eggs after cancer treatment. These donor eggs will be subjected to in vitro fertilization (IVF), and the created embryo will be transferred to the spouse’s uterus after medically preparing her uterine lining.
What to expect when you first meet with
Dr. Awonuga for your Onco-fertility Consultation
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You will have ample opportunity to discuss their options and concerns regarding the effects of the cancer treatment and the treatments available for the preservation of your eggs or sperm.
You will meet with our MFS Onco-fertility team to discuss their current condition regarding cancer, family planning, potential treatment options and concerns.
You will be given an explanation about the process and procedures involved with various treatments and are requested to sign consent and instructions forms.
A financial counselor is available onsite to discuss the cost of fertility preservation treatment.
Our Story
Since 1992, Dr. Awonuga has been helping couples and women achieve their dream of taking a baby home following infertility treatment. Once practiced as Division and Fellowship Program Director at Wayne State University/Wayne Health Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility practice, he has now opened Michigan Fertility Services. Dr. Awonuga is an active researcher and continues to collaborate with scientists at the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development at Wayne State University. With extensive experience in the field, at Michigan Fertility Services we will educate our patients and be gentle, ethical, and respectful. These are essential because as inability to conceive and have children is associated with anxiety and psychological stress. Dr. Awonuga understands and will help manage these facets with an appropriate referral if necessary.