October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a great opportunity to bring awareness to the disease and an emphasis on the importance of early detection. Check out the statistics below…
- Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and is the second leading cause of death among women.
- One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
- On average, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every two minutes, and every thirteen minutes, one women will die.
- Each year, an estimated 246,660 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.
- Although rare, each year an estimated 2,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 440 will die.
- Today, there are over 2.8 million breast cancer survivors alive in the U.S.
- The 5-year survival rate is 98% when detected early (at the localized stage).
No woman should fight breast cancer alone, and every woman should be aware of the risk factors, symptoms, and steps to early detection, as well as the available options when facing cancer treatments. One of the main concerns for women with breast cancer, especially for women who are of reproductive age, is whether or not they will be able to conceive after cancer treatments. Both chemotherapy and radiation can often damage sperm or eggs, leaving many patients infertile. Fortunately, egg freezing and fertility preservation are options that give women hope and the ability to conceive a child even after going through harsh cancer treatments.
At IVF FLORIDA, we are compassionate to the struggle women face when going through cancer treatments, especially when their fertility may be impacted. That is why we offer expedited care at a discounted rate for egg or embryo freezing prior to cancer treatments. For more information on these procedures, please contact us at 866.770.2168.
For information on how you can participate in National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, please click here.
By
IVF FLORIDA at 24 Oct 2016
Trying to conceive? South Florida’s reproductive specialist, Dr. David Hoffman, answers some common questions on how to best navigate the season of sniffles.
Q: Is it a good idea to get the flu vaccine while undergoing fertility treatment?
A: It is important for all individuals to get the flu vaccine as the benefit of the vaccine in reducing the risk of getting the flu far outweighs the risk of the vaccine. This is especially important to couples that are undergoing fertility treatment as getting the flu during treatment might result in cancellation of the cycle, adversely affect the sperm and/or delay embryo transfer.
Q:What are the different types of flu vaccines available? Is there one that is a better choice for those trying to conceive?
A: There are 2 types of vaccines that are available. The first is injectable and utilizes killed virus from strains that are expected to be the predominant strain for that year. This enables you immune system to make antibodies against the virus to reduce your likelihood of getting the flu. The injection is given either in the muscle which is the preferred route or under the skin - subcutaneous. This vaccine is also recommended for pregnant women as well. The other vaccine is given in the nose by a spray (intranasal). This vaccine utilizes attenuated live virus (actual flu virus that is grown in culture to significantly reduce the risk of infection) and also enables your immune system to make antibodies against the virus to reduce your likelihood of getting the flu. This vaccine is not recommended for pregnant women, but is given to young children. The injectable vaccine usually causes soreness at the site of injection and will not give you the flu. It is important when getting the injectable vaccine to answer several questions to reduce allergic reactions or see if you would be better to receive the intranasal preparation. Some individuals that receive the intranasal get mild flu-like symptoms that can be treated with Tylenol and rest.
Q: For those undergoing IVF who do come down with the flu, what are the possible complications?
A: Getting the flu can be very serious with lost days from work, possible hospitalization and a very small percentage of individuals can get Guillain-Barré syndrome which can result in paralysis (source: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/detail_gbs.htm). The flu virus still results in many deaths worldwide. If you contract the flu, you can be treated with antiviral medications provided it is within the first 48 hours. These medications reduce the duration and severity of the illness. Speak with your healthcare provider.
Q:Is it necessary to get the vaccine if you got it last year?
A: Even if you have received the vaccine the previous year it is important to get the vaccine every year as immunity does not last longer that the flu season (approximately 9 months) and the strains vary from year to year. Now is the time to take action and get the vaccine. We, as healthcare providers get the vaccine every year and encourage all of our staff and patients to do so as well.
For more information on the flu vaccine and fertility or to schedule an appointment with one of the fertility experts at IVF FLORIDA call 866.770.2168 or click here.
By
Dr. David Hoffman at 13 Oct 2016
So you definitely want to be a mother someday, but you are in your 30’s and you are not ready to have a baby now. You are concerned about your fertility potential and you may have friends or relatives who are dealing with infertility and others who are considering oocyte cryopreservation (egg freezing). How do you decide if this is the right choice for you?
You are not alone. Generation X and Millennials are delaying child bearing to a greater extent than any generation in American history for a variety of reasons. While this decision is ideal for many aspects of their lives, it can make having a baby later more challenging because fertility potential in women declines with age. This is because women are born with all the eggs they will have and they lose a few thousand eggs each month up until menopause. Furthermore, the good eggs with the right genetic makeup are expended first and the chance of becoming pregnant decreases over time for all women as a result of the decline in egg quantity and quality.
Science has not figured out a way to arrest or slow down this process but it is possible to collect eggs from a woman with good fertility potential and save them for use at a time when she might have less potential to conceive. Egg freezing is a relatively new technology but it seems to be safe and effective particularly for younger women with a good number of eggs remaining.
Who are the best candidates for egg freezing?
- Women under the age of 35 in good general health
What are the advantages?
- It may allow women who otherwise may not have an opportunity to have a baby to conceive at an age of their choosing
- Peace of mind
What is the downside?
- Limited amount of information about long term success rates and safety
- Less successful than overall IVF
- Experience and success rates vary significantly among clinics due to complexity of process
IVF FLORIDA has been an industry leader in oocyte cryopreservation and has had a successful program for six years – a long time for a new technology. We would be delighted to meet you and review your situation and the opportunities that our fertility preservation program offers.
By
Dr. Steven Ory at 19 Aug 2016
You never know where life is going to take you, or perhaps the road you’re currently traveling doesn’t include the immediate desire to start a family, at least not quite yet. Whatever the reason, more and more women are choosing to stop the biological clock and are opting for elective fertility preservation – a process that freezes eggs in order to have children later in life.
As women age, the quantity and quality of eggs decline each year – dramatically declining after the age of 35 and leaving only a 5% chance of conceiving by the age of 40. With egg freezing, a woman can serve as her own egg donor when she is ready to conceive later in life.
Reasons for Fertility Preservation:
- Medical reasons, including cancer treatment *According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology in the Journal of Oncology Practice, “Oncologists should address the possibility of infertility with patients treated during their reproductive years. Fertility preservation is often possible, but to serve the full range of options, fertility preservation approaches should be considered as early as possible during (cancer) treatment planning.”
- The desire to start a family later in life
- Personal reasons that delay child bearing
- To avoid freezing surplus embryos after an IVF cycle
At IVF FLORIDA, fertility preservation has never been easier with our Egg Freezing Fertility Preservation package. The first step of the process starts with a physician consultation that includes an in-depth discussion of the patient’s needs and expectations, as well as a detailed description of the procedure. Once the patient decides to move forward, blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound are performed to assess the number of eggs in the ovaries. The next step is ovarian stimulation - a two-week process that involves fertility hormone injections (gonadotropins) in order to produce more mature eggs than a typical cycle. The physician will then determine the exact time to retrieve the eggs which soon after will be frozen and stored. When a woman decides to attempt a pregnancy, the eggs are thawed, fertilized, and transferred into the uterus.
For more information on elective fertility preservation at IVF FLORIDA, please give us a call today!
Resources: http://jop.ascopubs.org/content/2/3/143.full, http://uscfertility.org/egg-freezing/, http://ivf.org/fertility-preservation/elective-fertility-preservation/
By
IVF FLORIDA at 14 Jul 2016
June is Men’s Health Month and is celebrated across the country to bring awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men. This month gives us a great opportunity to spotlight a condition that affects millions of men around the world and one of the toughest challenges a man can face - male infertility.
In about 20% of infertile couples, the man is the sole cause of the inability to conceive, and in another 30%-40%, he is the contributing factor. This is why it is crucial for men to get tested for fertility as well as women. By discovering male fertility issues early, the better the chances of nixing the problem sooner and achieving a successful pregnancy with their partner.
Most often, male infertility can be attributed to issues with making or moving the sperm. However, even everyday activities can cause problems. See below…
Causes for low sperm count or abnormal sperm:
- Varicocele – an abnormal collection of bulging veins above the testicle (Good news! This condition accounts for 38% of male infertility cases and is the most correctable issue.)
- Undescended testicle
- Infections in the testicle, the prostate, or elsewhere in the body
- Chemotherapy or cancer
- Medicines such as anabolic steroids or anti-seizure medicines
- Genetic abnormalities
- Hormone problems
Causes for sperm mobility issues:
- Retrograde ejaculation – semen ejaculates backwards into the bladder instead of out the penis
- Absence of the vas deferens (the main sperm pipeline)
- Obstruction anywhere in between the testicles and the penis
- Anti-sperm antibodies that attack a man’s own sperm on their way to the egg
Daily activities that can affect the viability of sperm:
- Drinking more than 2 drinks per day
- Tobacco or marijuana use
- Hot baths and whirlpools
- Stress
- Taking testosterone or any over-the-counter androgen like DHEA
While this information can be hard to swallow for men suffering from infertility, there is good news. Most of these conditions can be reversed, HOWEVER, it is critical to have an evaluation by a physician and a treatment plan in place to achieve a successful pregnancy with your partner. For information on male fertility testing at our South Florida clinics or to schedule a consultation, please give us a call today!
Resources: http://www.menshealthmonth.org/, http://www.webmd.com/men/features/male-infertility-treatments?page=1, http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/male-fertility-tests
By
IVF FLORIDA at 16 Jun 2016