· The IVF institution has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the disease that continues to cause millions of deaths worldwide
· Fertility expert says fertility preservation offers hope to cancer patients desirous of starting a family post recovery
By ; Adel Farig
IVI Middle East Fertility Clinic will join the world in marking the ‘World Cancer Day’ by launching a campaign to spread awareness about the disease and its correlation to fertility and starting a family.
As part of this initiative, IVI Middle East has launched a campaign to raise awareness of the disease that continues to cause millions of deaths worldwide. The campaign targets key areas as early detection, know-how of family history, adapting a positive lifestyle that includes cutting down on smoking and tobacco intake, eating and exercising well, consuming plant-based diet and reducing processed meat, maintaining a healthy weight, less salt intake and getting sufficient Vitamin D. The campaign also brings to light an important yet lesser known fact that fertility preservation can help patients achieve their dream of being parents post recovery from the disease.
“As the number of people who are diagnosed with cancer continues to grow, we need to double our efforts to educate our population about the disease as well as key preventive measures, which include understanding family medical history and adopting a healthy lifestyle. We also reiterate the significance of regular medical check-ups for early detection. If detected early, the chances of beating the disease are higher,” said Dr Laura Melado, IVF Specialist, IVI Fertility, Abu Dhabi.
Available figures released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer showed that the global cancer burden grew to an estimated 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths in 2018. In the Middle East, the World Health Organisation (WHO) forecasted that cancer cases in the region could double by 2030 which is alarming.
“World Cancer Day is an opportunity for us at IVI Middle East to emphasise that, yes, those suffering from cancer can still have children after their treatment through several fertility preservation options. When recovered, physically and mentally, these options have been a ray of hope for many couples trying to conceive.”
A cancer diagnosis is one of the most common reasons couples opt for fertility preservation, modern medical techniques that offers women an option to postpone motherhood due to illness or other reasons. This is because some common cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy are likely to impact
female fertility.
There are currently several different options and treatments available to cancer patients for maintaining their fertility, that are performed before their cancer treatment starts. These include vitrification of oocytes; freezing of the ovarian tissue; transposition of the ovaries; medical protection of the gonads; and in vitro maturation of oocytes (IVM).
“We highly recommend that couples visit a fertility specialist to discuss not only their options but get answers to all concerns as well. This way, they can make a more informed decision. Their dream of having a child does not need to die with the cancer diagnosis or treatment. The advancements in reproductive medicine have been phenomenal and can help them in their parenthood journey after the cancer treatment too,” added Dr Barbara Lawrenz, IVF Specialist, IVI Fertility, Abu Dhabi said.
IVI Middle East manages state-of-the-art clinics in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Muscat. IVI, a pioneer in the latest assisted reproduction technology, provides personalised care and support during all stages of treatment. The clinics have a success rate of over 70% - the highest in the region.
