Knowledge and awareness about fertility preservation among female patients with cancer : a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective The incidence of women in the reproductive age group diagnosed with cancer has recently increased. However, very few patients opt for or are offered fertility preservation (FP) strategies because of a significant lack in awareness. The present study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge of the effect of cancer treatment on fertility and available options for FP. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care center from March 2019 through August 2019. One hundred female patients with gynecological or nongynecological cancer and 18-40 years of age were interviewed. The participants were categorized on the basis of the modified Kuppuswamy socioeconomic status (SES) scale and the responses of the patients in the different categories were compared. Results More than half the patients (63%) were in the 20–35-year age group. Most of the patients (71%) were married, and of them, 28 (39.4%) desired to have children. Only 32% of the patients were aware of the detrimental effect of cancer and its treatment on future fertility, and of them, only 28% could specify the gonadotoxic effect of chemotherapy. Knowledge was significantly higher in the upper and middle SES levels than it was in the lower SES level (P<0.001). More than half of the patients (68%) were not aware of the existing FP options, whereas one-third of the patients (32%) were given information about FP by their physicians. Conclusion The overall awareness of the gonadotoxic effect of cancer therapy and available FP options in the present study was poor. Awareness of FP among both patients and clinicians needs to be increased.

Keywords

• cancer
• fertility preservation
• knowledge
• awareness
• chemotherapy