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How to find fertility doctor?

Page last modified on: September 23, 2008
Question from LNB: Where can I find resources/referrals in my area to find a fertility doctor that can help me—now or after cancer?
Answers —Leslie Schover, Ph.D.: One way that you might be able to do that is to contact the organization Fertile Hope. Although their offices are in New York, they're an advocacy group that has a special focus on fertility in cancer. They may have a list of people around the country who have a special interest in cancer and fertility.

Another source is the organization Resolve, which is an advocacy agency for people with fertility problems, and again, has a list of referrals. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is another possibility. They can tell you where the IVF clinics are in your area.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: It's hard to get an appointment quickly with a busy infertility practice. Do you have any suggestions on how to push your way into the schedule quickly, so you can seek infertility evaluation before starting chemotherapy or hormonal therapy?
Leslie Schover, Ph.D.: Ask your oncologist to intervene for you, especially if s/he has a special relationship with any of the reproductive endocrinologists in your area.
Kutluk Oktay, M.D.: That's a very practical problem. The real solution to that is a reproductive endocrinologist who specializes in fertility preservation in cancer patients.
Leslie Schover, Ph.D.: But realistically, outside of major medical centers, you won't find someone like that.
Kutluk Oktay, M.D.: Yes, that's a problem. So if you're near a major multidisciplinary medical center, you'd have a better chance of finding someone like this. In my practice, we see our patients within 24-48 hours, depending on the patients' circumstances. But usually doctors will do a better job of convincing other doctors to see their patients.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: Medical insurance often pays for medication to help manage side effects of chemo, like anti-pain or anti-nausea medications. Will medical insurance help pay the cost of infertility when it is likely to be a side effect of breast cancer treatment?
Kutluk Oktay, M.D.: We oftentimes argue this exact point with insurance companies, and some of them do buy the arguments and some of them don't. Some patients end up putting up a lengthy fight, and some give up. But my suggestion is that if every patient makes the same argument, we may be able to change their minds on this issue. Unfortunately, some insurance companies don't follow this logic.
Marisa Weiss, M.D., president and founder: It's certainly worth pushing.

On Wednesday, August 18, 2004, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Pregnancy and Fertility Issues. Kutluk Oktay, M.D., Leslie Schover, Ph.D., and moderator Marisa Weiss, M.D. answered your questions about pregnancy and fertility before, during, and after breast cancer treatment, as well as the options of adoption and gestational carriers (surrogate mothers).

The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

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Meet the Experts

Kutluk Oktay, M.D.Kutluk Oktay, M.D. is a professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the director of the Division of Reproductive Medicine & Infertility at New York Medical College.

Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D.Leslie R. Schover, Ph.D. is a renowned psychologist with a special interest in helping people resolve or manage their sexual problems, especially those problems connected with a chronic illness such as cancer.

Marisa Weiss, M.D. is a radiation oncologist specializing in breast cancer and the founder, president, and guiding force behind Breastcancer.org.

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