A cancer diagnosis brings urgent decisions about treatment. Often, the decision window is small, which can cause severe stress around the future of your fertility.
At Fertility & Gynecology Center - Monterey Bay IVF, internationally renowned, board-certified OB/GYN and fertility expert Dr. Edward J. Ramirez provides compassionate, state-of-the-art care in our Monterey, California, facility.
Dr. Ramirez and our dedicated team provide comprehensive fertility care attuned to your unique needs as a cancer patient. You can rely on us to help protect your childbearing options for the future so you can focus on your treatment and recovery now.
Fertility preservation includes assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures that collect and preserve healthy eggs or embryos.
Dr. Ramirez and our team perform these procedures before you start your oncology treatment, as radiation, chemotherapy, and some surgeries can harm reproductive organs or severely reduce fertility.
For example, most women who need pelvic radiation therapy lose their fertility afterward, according to the American Cancer Society.
If you're in your childbearing years and want a family — or want to leave your options open for the future — reproductive technology offers an effective way to protect your fertility before you start cancer treatment.
Fertility preservation gives you a chance to start or grow your family after completing cancer treatments. The two main approaches are:
Egg freezing starts with an egg stimulation cycle, in which you take medication via injections. This prompts your ovaries to make more eggs than usual and allows the biggest yield for preservation. Then, in an egg retrieval procedure, Dr. Ramirez removes those eggs from your ovaries, and we preserve them in our state-of-the-art cryo tanks.
Embryo freezing goes a step beyond egg freezing. It involves fertilizing the eggs in our on-site IVF lab. This creates embryos, which are already-fertilized eggs you can use in the future. Like eggs, embryos are preserved in our cryo tanks.
Dr. Ramirez will help you evaluate these options based on your cancer diagnosis, treatment timeline, and personal goals.
With cancer treatment, timing is often one of the biggest factors. We prioritize oncology patients seeking fertility preservation. After you or your oncologist contacts us, our team schedules your evaluation right away.
During your consultation, Dr. Ramirez reviews your medical history, discusses your oncology treatment, and explains the fertility preservation process.
We also discuss your insurance coverage and connect you with programs offering free fertility medications for cancer-related treatments.
Then, based on your menstrual cycle and treatment timeline, we start ovarian stimulation. It usually takes three weeks to retrieve and freeze eggs or embryos.
We can adapt treatment to your needs if you can't delay treatment that long. In some cases, patients must start treatment immediately. We do everything possible to find a path to preserving your fertility.
Dr. Ramirez and his team understand the urgency of your situation. Our unique blend of groundbreaking ART and highly personalized attention can help you preserve your future fertility while preparing for life-saving cancer treatments.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and are considering fertility preservation, call or message us today at 831-649-4483 to book your consultation with Dr. Ramirez.
