Fertility preservation in oncologic patients has been gaining increasing attention, yet despite all the fast-moving scientific advancements in fertility preservation procedures, there are relatively few patients who choose to undertake such a path. International guidelines recommend counselling be carried out in a timely fashion, as early as possible, and a close cooperation between oncologists and fertility specialists over the decision-making process, but there are still several hurdles that doctors and patients face. Currently, ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) is an extremely promising technique still considered experimental; in fact, there is still no clearly defined set of criteria for patient selection, concentration rates of Anti-Muellerian hormone (AMH) and Antral Follicle Count (AFC) may constitute a valid proposal, in light of their correlation with post-chemotherapy ovarian function.
The aims of this project are: identify all critical factors which hinder access to fertility preservation procedures; lay out a set of data related to the management and administration of counselling within healthcare institutions; analyze current orientation of health specialists; gain awareness of the motivations determining a given patient's acceptance or refusal of the treatment; record and analyze AMH rates and AFC in patients undergoing OTC.
The project is set to unfold over 4 distinct phases: preliminary; data collection (analysis of medical records, online delivery of questionnaires to doctors and patients, determination of AMH and AFC); analysis; divulgation.
The study focus on three different stakeholders at the same time and integrates all available information in order to gain a thorough insight of the phenomenon, aimed at improving and streamlining counselling processes within healthcare facilities, enhancing quality of information and identify a workable set of selection criteria for patients eligible for OTC.
