None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Fertility is a key aspect of quality of life detrimentally affected by cancer, resulting in significant reductions in well-being for people with cancer and their partners. However, health professionals rarely address this important health problem. This study will examine the experience and construction of fertility post-cancer, from the perspective of people with cancer, their partners, and health professionals, and elucidate pathways to difficulty or re-negotiation. Based on these findings, interventions will be developed, and evaluated in a randomised controlled trial.
Interventions
Health professional intervention: minimal psycho-educational written information provision (self-help booklet) about fertility and cancer accompanied by a single session of counselling.
The health professional consultation consisted of the self-help booklet followed up two weeks later by a one-hour telephone or Skype consultation between the participant and a counsellor trained in discussing fertility. Concerns or questions raised as a result of reading the booklet were discussed during the cons
Health professional intervention: minimal psycho-educational written information provision (self-help booklet) about fertility and cancer accompanied by a single session of counselling. The health professional consultation consisted of the self-help booklet followed up two weeks later by a one-hour telephone or Skype consultation between the participant and a counsellor trained in discussing fertility. Concerns or questions raised as a result of reading the booklet were discussed during the consultation, and suggestions for ameliorating fertility problems, based on the specific needs of participants, were offered. The self-help information booklet is based on accounts of fertility concerns experienced by people with cancer and their partners, consultation with health professionals, and examination of existing written resources on cancer and fertility. It consisted of 84 pages, which provided information about:reproduction and fertility, key questions, talking about fertility, Women's fertility and cancer treatment, women's options before cancer treatment, women's options after cancer treatment, men's fertility and cancer treatment, Men's options before cancer treatment, men's options after cancer treatment, assessing your fertility, preserving fertility in childern and adolescents, other paths to parenthood, being child free, the emotional impact, relatioships and sexuality, making will informed decisions, questions for reflection, and support services available.
Sponsors
Professor Jane Ussher
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Self-nominated person with cancer, or the partner of a person with cancer who had experienced fertility concerns.
Exclusion criteria
None applied. No restrictions according cancer type, stage, treatments, time since diagnosis.
Outcome results
None listed