Chris and Christy welcome back James Ludemann, Patient Teaching Coordinator and Fertility Preservation Nurse at CHOA, to the podcast, this time to share about the issue of fertility preservation when it comes to pediatric cancer. James starts out by defining fertility and infertility, just as he would in his conversations with patients and their families to make sure everyone is on the same page. He explains why it is important to consider fertility when dealing with childhood cancer since most (but not all) childhood cancer patients will receive at least one treatment that puts them at some risk for fertility issues. James explains how most of the options to preserve fertility before cancer treatment are currently only available to older kids and teenagers who have begun puberty, but how his team will still meet with the families of younger patients who have concerns. He walks Chris and Christy through the steps his team takes to approach families of older kids and teens about the issue of fertility preservation, and relates the importance of asking the young person's permission to have these sometimes awkward—but very important—conversations. James gives a high-level overview of the options available to preserve fertility before treatment has begun, as well as those that are still available even after treatment has concluded. Lastly, they close the conversation by talking about the importance of parents advocating for their child in this area, especially since not all hospitals have a team dedicated to fertility for pediatric cancer patients.
