Although modern medical therapies for cancer in women have become immensely successful, the price paid for survival is often the loss of reproductive function from ovarian toxicity.

Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) conducts a compassionate program providing the latest in fertility preservation technologies in an effort to offer hope and future fertility for woman undergoing potentially sterilizing medical therapies.

These services require the use of assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization, and the cryopreservation of eggs, embryos and ovarian tissue. PCRM will provide all of the necessary treatments without charge to woman accepted into the program.

Our staff are tremendously proud to be part of this program and excited to serve this important and compassionate cause.

Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) is unique in its ability to offer these technologies. The clinical staff have been assembled from the some of the finest IVF centres over the continent. The director of our fertility preservation program, Dr. Jeff Roberts, received special training during his fellowship at New York’s Cornell Medical Center, where the first human ovarian transplant was performed, and many of the commonly employed fertility sparing techniques pioneered.

The PCRM IVF laboratory has the instrumentation and technical expertise required to conduct the techniques of egg, embryo, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation. In particular the PCRM laboratory staff have over ten years of experience freezing all developmental stages of human pre-embryos, and have a particular interest in egg freezing.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Resident of British Columbia
Reproductive age
Desire for future fertility

Eligibility will be determined by the patient’s medical and fertility status, medical/surgical treatment schedule and after full consultation with the medical team to evaluate any risks posed by the fertility treatments.

SERVICES
All medical and laboratory services are donated by PCRM to patients accepted to the program. Medications will be arranged by the PCRM pharmacy.

DONATING
100% of the money donated to the PCRM Fertility Preservation Foundation will be used for the purchase of fertility medications for patients utilizing this program

ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS
Liz Ellwood is the executive director of a non-profit organization recently set up to improve the awareness and educate patients and providers about the options of fertility preservation in cancer patients. For more information, please visit her website at www.fertilefuture.ca

Dr. Roberts is a medical advisor to Fertile Future.