Website provides information on fertility to cancer patients

The nation's first charity website providing knowledge, education and medical support for cancer patients on the preservation of fertility was launched over the weekend.

The Website (www.iferticare.com) is backed by the reproductive medicine center of Shanghai International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital. They have teamed up with experts on reproductive medicine, oncology and clinical caring to set up the special website.

A 28-year-old woman surnamed Zhang is a typical case. Breast cancer was detected when receiving a check to prepare for pregnancy.

She told doctors at Shanghai International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital about her desire to have her own children.

Doctors made a comprehensive medical plan to treat her breast cancer while preserving her fertility.

She has completed cancer treatment and will receive in vitro fertilization after her condition is stabilized.

"Many females who are in the same condition like this patient may lose the chance of having their own children due to a poor access to useful medical information and service," said Dr Li Wen.

Dr Li is director of the hospital's reproductive medicine center, which cooperated with health authorities and charity organizations to launch the website after completing research and a public survey.

Fertility preservation means preserving female patients' eggs, ovary tissues or embryos before cancer treatment to ensure the patients have the chance to become pregnant.

"In cancer treatment, patients may have little consideration of fertility protection due to an urgent demand for cancer therapy or have poor access to the medical resources and methods of fertility preservation," Li said.

"If missing the best chance, the patients may lose the chance of having their own children, suffering serious mental trauma and lifelong regret.

"There are limited medical facilities providing such service in the nation, while patients may have difficulty in grasping accurate and timely information.

"So this website can provide them with proper medical guidance and instructions with latest medical knowledge, consultation, medical insurance, charity aid, patient organization, peer stories and hospital information."

The Website so far is in Chinese. Expatriate patients can contact with the center through its hotline 021-64046550. Medics can provide consultation and guidance in English, Japanese and Korean.