Findings from Duke University Provides New Data about Cancer (Impact of Financial Costs On Patients’ Fertility Preservation Decisions: an Examination of Qualitative Data From Female Young Adults With Cancer and Oncology Providers): Cancer

2024 FEB 26 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Cancer Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Cancer. According to news originating from Durham, North Carolina, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “To examine the impact of financial costs on fertility preservation decisions among female young adults (YAs) with cancer. Female YAs (N = 18; aged 21-36) with a history of cancer and oncology providers (N = 12) were recruited from an National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in a state without insurance coverage for fertility preservation.”

Financial support for this research came from Duke Cancer Prevention and Control Pilot Studies Program.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Duke University, “YAs and providers completed individual interviews and a brief online assessment. Qualitative description using thematic analysis was used to identify, analyze, and report common themes. Descriptive statistics was used to characterize the sample. Female YAs and oncology providers highlighted the critical role that high out-of-pocket costs play in YAs’ fertility preservation decisions along with the value that enhanced insurance coverage for fertility preservation would have for increasing female YAs’ access to and utilization of fertility preservation. Although providers were concerned about preservation costs for their patients, they reported that their concerns did not impact whether they referred interested female YAs to reproductive specialists. Oncology providers expressed concern about inequities in utilization of fertility preservation for female and racially/ethnically minoritized YAs that were exacerbated by the high out-of-pocket fertility preservation costs. Cost is a significant barrier to fertility preservation for female YA cancer patients. Female YAs of reproductive age may benefit from decision support tools to assist with balancing the cost of fertility preservation with their values and family building goals.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “Policy-relevant interventions may mitigate cost barriers and improve access to care.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Impact of Financial Costs On Patients’ Fertility Preservation Decisions: an Examination of Qualitative Data From Female Young Adults With Cancer and Oncology Providers. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology, 2024. Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology can be contacted at: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, 140 Huguenot Street, 3RD Fl, New Rochelle, NY 10801, USA. (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. - www.liebertpub.com; Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology - http://www.liebertpub.com/overview/journal-of-adolescent-and-young-adult-oncology/387/)

The news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained from Caroline S. Dorfman, Duke University, Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, NC, United States. Additional authors for this research include Juliann M. Stalls, Rebecca A. Shelby, Cheyenne Corbett, Sarah S. Arthur, Kelly Acharya, Brittany Davidson and Rachel A. Greenup.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2023.0108. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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