A new national program is giving young Australians with cancer the chance to preserve their fertility before treatment begins, at no cost to their families.
In Time, led by the Royal Women's Hospital and made possible through a $6.4 million philanthropic investment from the Children's Cancer Foundation and My Room Children's Cancer Charity, provides fertility preservation services for children and young people up to the age of 24. Cancer treatments can damage fertility, placing 30 to 70% of young patients at significant risk. Yet only 15% currently access fertility preservation before treatment starts, a figure that falls to just 4% for those living outside a major centre.
Genea fertility specialist Dr Genia Rozen is Co-Director of In Time. She says the program is about ensuring every child with cancer has access to fertility preservation regardless of where they live in Australia. Through a national network, In Time provides a tissue transport and cryopreservation service, clinical training and support, and ongoing research to improve outcomes.
For children who have not yet reached puberty, tissue cryopreservation is the only available option. For girls, a small piece of ovarian tissue is removed, frozen, and can later be transplanted back to support egg production and IVF. Research into testicular tissue preservation for boys is also underway.
For families like that of three-year-old Ivy, who began treatment for an aggressive brain cancer, the program offered something unexpected in an overwhelming time: hope for her future as an adult.
Read the full article to learn more about In Time and how referrals can be made.
Dr Genia Rozen
Dr Genia Rozen integrates clinical excellence with her passion for research to ensure that patients are given the best treatment for their fertility and gynaecological problems. Her approach revolves around holistic, personalised and genuine care, creating a nurturing environment to support her patients journey towards building their family.
