Northwestern University Awarded $21M Grant To Develop Methods Aimed At Protecting Fertility Of Women Undergoing Radiation, Chemotherapy

Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has been awarded a $21 million grant from NIH for an initiative that aims to protect the fertility of women who are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The initiative, called the Oncofertility Consortium, aims to change the way physicians approach women undergoing such treatment by placing a greater emphasis on their reproductive health, the Tribune reports. A person called a patient navigator will help answer questions and explore options for newly diagnosed women and teenagers, according to the Tribune. The patient navigator will act as a liaison between the patients and specialists to ensure that fertility considerations are reflected in future treatment plans.

When a woman is diagnosed with cancer, the first priority is to save her life, Teresa Woodruff, chief of the Feinberg School's new fertility preservation division, said. She added that although most women will survive, the treatments that attack malignant tumors and cells also can destroy the ability to conceive. "The fertility docs are not used to treating sick people; the oncologists are not focused on anything beyond survival ... so this is about breaking down those barriers," Woodruff said, adding, "On the day of diagnosis every cancer patient can be treated as a survivor, advised of her reproductive options from the very beginning."

NIH Deputy Director Alan Krensky said, "This really is a new discipline ... an unprecedented group coming together to address problems that are affecting an increasing number of Americans and people around the world." According to the Tribune, the program will be funded under NIH's Roadmap for Medical Research program, which is designed to accelerate the research process. Northwestern University is among nine grant recipients nationwide, the Tribune reports (Miller Rubin, Chicago Tribune, 9/6).

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