For a man or woman in their childbearing years, a cancer diagnosis can come with a scary thought: will having children be possible? Fortunately, with improvements in treatment and fertility preservation options, having a baby after remission can become a reality for many cancer survivors.
The Risks of Infertility After Cancer
When it comes to whether or not you’re at risk for infertility after cancer, there really is no one-size-fits-all answer. Overall, the chances of remaining fertile depend on a variety of factors including the cancer type, the treatments you received, how your body responded, as well as the original fertility potential.
For both women and men, cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery can have a negative effect on fertility. In women, cancer treatment can cause ovarian damage or failure, early menopause, and other reproductive problems that can make it difficult to get pregnant or carry a pregnancy to term. In men, the results of treatment can cause damage to the testes as well as interfere with or destroy sperm production.
The American Cancer Society website has detailed lists of how cancer treatments affect both women and men.
Preserving Fertility Before Treatment
If expanding your family in the future is important to you, speak with your oncologist about how you can preserve your fertility. Prior to beginning cancer treatment, you might want to consider the following options:
Collecting and freezing sperm, eggs, embryos, or ovarian tissue
Gonadal shielding, where unaffected reproductive organs are protected from radiation exposure
Ovarian suppression, which can protect eggs during treatment
Fertility can be damaged by a single cancer therapy session. Additionally, for women, certain methods of fertility preservation are done during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. Because of this, it is important that you talk to your oncologist or a reproductive specialist as soon as possible if you want to preserve your fertility.
Regardless of Your Post-Cancer Fertility, You Can Still Become a Parent
Even if your cancer treatment has caused you to become infertile and you did not take steps or know you could take steps to preserve your fertility before treatment (such as freezing your eggs or sperm) that doesn’t mean you can’t become a parent. Thanks to donor eggs, donor sperm, surrogates who will carry your fertilized embryo to term, adoption, etc. you can still have the family you’ve dreamed of, even if your journey to parenthood is different than you had imagined.
Remember, your cancer care team is your best resource. They can provide you with the most accurate answers to any questions you have regarding the effects of cancer on your fertility, including how long after treatment you should wait before trying to conceive and whether your cancer will be passed onto your child. With support from your cancer care team, friends, and family, you can move forward with hope of becoming a parent.
Thirty-eight year old Mandy Hanlon did not expect to get a cancer diagnosis when she arrived at her job as a pharmacy tech on a typical day in August of 2023. She describes what she thought was a sudden onset of nerve pain. Her legs “wouldn’t do what I was telling them to,” and she experienced an abrupt bout of numbness followed by pain.
“The pharmacist saw how much pain I was in and called my dad to pick me up, and we went to Northwest Hospital,” Mandy recalls. “They did a test on me and saw a mass on my back. After tests and more tests, they found out I had stage four bone cancer and tumors in my lungs.”
The diagnosis was Ewing Sarcoma, a very rare form of bone cancer usually found in young people. The doctor she saw first was Arizona Oncology radiation oncologist Dr. Hayden Ansinelli, who reassured her and immediately teamed up with a medical oncologist to reach out into the medical community to ask about treatment options for the disease. “I can’t thank him enough,” Mandy says.
Ewing Sarcoma is a rare form of cancer affecting only one out of one million people in the U.S. Most cases occur in children and adolescents, but there are rare cases that occur in patients over the age of 20. Ewing Sarcoma affects males more than females, often between the age of 10 and 20, and is found mostly in people of European descent. Ewing Sarcoma is also associated with certain genetic predispositions such as neurofibromatosis, Li Fraumani’s Syndrome, and retinoblastoma.
Ewing Sarcoma is potentially curable with a 5-year survival rate around 80% for people whose cancer hasn’t spread. However, for adults the survival rates are lower. Symptoms include bone pain at the tumor site, swelling/redness around the tumor site, fever, weight loss/decreased appetite, fatigue, paralysis and/or incontinence, and nerve compression symptoms such as numbness and tingling.
Initially, Mandy did not want to pursue treatment because of the uncertainty surrounding her disease and prognosis, but her cousin and biggest advocate, Layla, convinced her to try it once to see if it helped. After the first chemo regimen, they saw a reduction in the size of the tumor on her spine, so Mandy decided to move forward with treatment.
The chemotherapy made her quite sick for several weeks, but it was her family and her doctors and nurses who got her through it. During her sometimes 8-hour-long daily chemo treatments, there would be a family member at her side. “I was scared, but all the nurses were amazing. They were my angels,” Mandy says. Mandy had a scare at one point with a complication with her chemo port where her lung filled with blood. “I was so thankful to see my dad when I woke up,” she recalls.
Mandy says her family relationships have been strengthened because of what she’s gone through, especially her relationship with her dad. She adds that the most important thing her caregivers have done for her is to act as her advocate. “There were times when I was on so many pain meds that I couldn’t think or talk, and it was my cousin making sure I understood everything.” Layla also helped her avoid the fees associated with exiting her lease early and made sure she got medical coverage through AHCCCS.
After completing treatment, Mandy reports that while her life has been irrevocably changed by her diagnosis, she’s grateful to be alive. “I will never be able to walk right again, and I am tired all the time, but I am very, very grateful for all the little things, and I try to enjoy the moments more,” she says. On her bucket list is a trip to Disneyland, which she hopes to do in March.
Mandy plans to donate her body to a research facility in the hopes that it will be able to help future Ewing Sarcoma patients, but she has already had a profound impact on those around her. The doctors and nurses at Arizona Oncology have felt it—a sort of gentle groundedness even in the midst of the tumult of emotions cancer brings. When Mandy’s name comes up, they smile. “Wait till you meet her,” they say. And they aren’t wrong. There’s something special about Mandy that everyone who meets her can feel.
“This cancer has changed my life,” Mandy says. “I love myself more now, and I’m so grateful for my family—my dad Michael and stepmother, Alma; they opened a room in their house for me and made me feel comfortable. I am also grateful for my cousin Layla—she was my voice when I was in the hospital, and my Aunt Margie and my sister Shanteal and so many more angels I have around me.”
Mandy encourages others facing a cancer diagnosis to always have faith and look ahead despite the uncertainty and challenges.
“It’s okay,” she says. “Never give up on yourself and keep moving forward.”
The Gleason Score is more than likely one of the first things your doctor will discuss if you have received a prostate cancer diagnosis. That’s because it’s used to explain the stage of prostate cancer you have. Let’s discuss prostate cancer, the purpose of the Gleason Score, how it is calculated, and why it is so important.
What is Prostate Cancer?
The prostate is a gland found only in males that lies just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. Prostates in younger men are about the size of walnuts but tend to become larger as they age. It serves two main functions in the body. The first is to secrete prostate fluid (one of the components that comprises semen) and the second is to help move the seminal fluid into the urethra during ejaculation with the use of muscles.
Prostate cancer occurs when the cells in the prostate gland begin to grow rapidly and out of control. Usually, it starts out growing slowly and stays within the prostate.
There are 5 types of prostate cancers:
Adenocarcinomas
Small cell carcinomas
Neuroendocrine tumors
Transitional cell carcinomas
Sarcomas
Chances are high that when you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is adenocarcinoma, which starts in the gland cells.
The other 4 types of prostate cancers are less common. Like all cancers, prostate cancer is graded to determine how aggressive and rapidly it is growing. No matter the type of cancer, all patients diagnosed are staged. This means assigning a grade that defines how aggressive the cancer is. For staging prostate cancer, the Gleason Score is the method used.
What is the Gleason Score?
The Gleason Score was first developed by Donald Gleason in the 1960s and is the grading method that is used to determine how aggressive a patient’s prostate cancer is. In most cases, prostate cancer is made up of cancerous cells with different grades. For this reason, each patient is assigned two different grades. The first grade refers to the most dominant grade of cancer cells and the second-grade refers to the second most common dominant grade of cancer cells found during the biopsy.
How Does Gleason Scoring Work?
If your doctor suspects you have prostate cancer a biopsy may be used to confirm the diagnosis and gain insight its characteristics. The two most dominant grades of cancer cells found in the biopsy are each given a score of 1 through 5.
For instance, a patient may be assigned a 4 and a 3. These two numbers are then added together to determine the Gleason Score which is a range of 2-10. In most cases, oncologists never assign a Gleason Score below 6. If we go back to our example, 4 and 3 would be added together for a sum of 7. This means 7 would the patient’s Gleason Score.
What Do the Different Gleason Scores Mean?
The Gleason Score is based on the aggressiveness of the prostate cancer. The lower the number, the closer to normal the cell tissue, and slower-growing the cancer is likely to be. Anything less than 6 is not considered cancer.
The Gleason Score is based on the aggressiveness of the prostate cancer.
The higher the number, the more aggressive the cancer and the more likely it is to spread. Let’s take a look at what the different scores mean:
Low Grade: Gleason Score = 6: This indicates that more than likely the cancer will be slow-growing and not very aggressive. Patients with these scores have the best prognosis.
Intermediate Grade: Gleason Score = 7: A score of 7 means that the patient has a 50/50 chance of having aggressive prostate cancer. If the patient received a primary grade of 3 and a secondary grade of 4, more than likely the cancer will grow slowly. However, if those numbers are reversed and the primary grade was 4 and the secondary 3, the cancer may be aggressive.
High Grade: Gleason Score = 8-10: A score of 8-10 means the cancer is aggressive and likely to grow and spread at a rapid pace.
Why is the Gleason Score Important?
According to a study conducted by the University of Geneva, the Gleason score correlates very closely with the clinical behavior of the cancer cells. This makes is a very important indicator of how the cancer will act – slowing growing versus aggressive.
It tells oncologists a great deal about the characteristics of the prostate cancer although it’s not the only tool used to determine whether you need to move ahead with treatment. Other factors are used and evaluated as a whole. This can include one more of the following:
PSA blood test score
Physical examination findings
Imaging test results
Whether cancer was found on both sides of the prostate
Whether cancer has spread outside the prostate
Arizona’s Leader in Prostate Cancer Treatment & Research
Arizona Oncology understands that those facing a prostate cancer diagnosis are warriors. This is why our staff is comprised of compassionate caregivers to help you through every step of the way. When you choose Arizona Oncology, you can rest assured that you are receiving the highest-quality prostate cancer care available from highly experienced clinicians. Contact us today for more information.
11 common essential oils used in aromatherapy for managing cancer symptoms and side effects include:
Lavender: used to relieve stress, improve sleep, reduce inflammation, and treat depression
Eucalyptus: used to invigorate, reduce fever, and fight migraines and bacterial infections
Geranium: used to ease anxiety, reduce depression, and promote sleep
Tea tree (Melaleuca): can ease pain, reduce inflammation, and fight bacteria.
Lemon: used to get relief from pain, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting
Chamomile: used to soothe, promote sleep, and support the immune system
Bergamot: used to treat stress, anxiety, depression, and fatigue
Peppermint: used to boost energy, enhance mental alertness, fight fever, and relieve nausea and other digestion issues
Ginger: used to stimulate appetite and help ease nausea, vomiting, and bowel problems
Cedarwood: can promote relaxation and reduce stress
Frankincense: used to reduce inflammation and pain, boost immunity, soothe skin irritations, fight infections, and improve anxiety
For some cancer patients, treatment is a rough road to travel. This is why they often look for additional practices or products that can be used in conjunction with their standard cancer treatment to help manage cancer symptoms and treatment side effects. Treatments such as these are called complementary therapies. While there are many complementary therapies that can help, essential oils seem to have gained the significant attention for their aid in providing relief for cancer patients during treatment.
Essential oils are natural oils (compounds) found in plants. Once extracted, they possess the essence (fragrance) of the plant from which it was extracted. For many generations, essential oils have been used for the improvement of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of these oils.
When aromatherapy is used alongside standard cancer treatments to manage treatment side effects, patients often feel less stress and anxiety, which improves their overall quality of life. Certain oils can also aid in pain management. In many cases, aromatherapy is combined with other complementary treatments, such as acupuncture, yoga, and massage for symptom management. For a cancer patient, this additional support can be beneficial in their healing.
The effects of aromatherapy are theorized to result from the binding of chemical components in the essential oil to receptors in the olfactory bulb, impacting the brain’s emotional center, the limbic system. Topical application or aromatic oils may exert antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving effects. This simply means that inhaling oils through the nose or applying oils to the skin can fight against harmful bacteria, reduce inflammation or swelling, and provide pain relief.
Each oil has its own specific health benefits, so patients must find the oils that work best for their specific health concerns.
Inhaling oils through the nose or applying oils to the skin can fight against harmful bacteria, reduce inflammation or swelling, and provide pain relief.
How to Use Essential Oils
Keep in mind that because everyone has a unique body chemistry, oils work differently on an individual basis. For this reason, it may take time before you see an improvement in your symptoms. Once you do find the right oils, however, you can inhale them or use them topically.
Diffusion is the most popular method for inhaling essential oils. This is done with a home diffuser that distributes essential oil molecules through the air mixed with water. Another way is to inhale directly from the bottle.
Topically means that the oils are being directly applied to the skin. It is important to remember that essential oils are highly concentrated and must be diluted with a carrier oil before application. Olive oil and coconut oil are both great carrier oils that can help your body absorb essential oils properly. In addition to rubbing diluted oils onto your skin, they can also be added to a warm bath, to a hot or cold compress, or to a lotion or moisturizer.
In most cases, our oncologists at Arizona Oncology are very supportive of their patients using essential oils as supportive care for their general well-being as they go through cancer treatment.
Because certain oils can interact with chemotherapies and cause other types of problems, it is strongly recommended that patients connect with their oncology provider before using essential oils during their cancer treatment.
The holiday season is a time for giving, sharing, and spreading joy. For those undergoing cancer treatment, the warmth and comfort of thoughtful gifts can make a significant impact. We’ve curated a list of gift ideas recommended by our staff and patients to bring a touch of festive cheer to someone you care about who is on a cancer journey.
Warm Blankets
As the winter chill sets in, a soft and cozy blanket becomes a cherished companion. It provides warmth during hospital stays, treatment sessions, or quiet moments at home. Opt for blankets made of soft materials to ensure comfort, and select colors or patterns that resonate with the recipient’s taste.
Chest Port Access Shirt
A specially designed chest port shirt can make receiving chemotherapy treatments less stressful. These garments are comfortable, accessible, and stylish, and come in a variety of sizes and designs.
Small Art or Drawing Sets
Art therapy has been proven to alleviate stress and promote a sense of well-being. A small art or drawing set can provide patients with an outlet for their emotions, allowing them to find moments of joy and peace through the therapeutic act of creating.
Personal Care Items
Pamper cancer patients with personal care items such as soothing lotions, lip balm, and eye masks. These small luxuries can provide much-needed relief, especially during dry or uncomfortable periods induced by treatment. Opt for fragrance-free options to accommodate heightened sensitivities.
Gift Cards
Empower cancer patients with the freedom to choose by gifting them gift cards. This way, they can shop for essentials, entertainment, or personal items from the comfort of their homes, particularly if mobility is limited. Practicality meets thoughtfulness with gift cards to local grocery stores like Frys or Safeway. These cards can be used for food, groceries, or even gas, offering essential support during treatment periods when energy levels may be low.
Books, Music, Puzzles
Provide a welcome escape with books, music, or puzzles. Engaging the mind in these activities offers distraction and entertainment during treatment or recovery. Tailor your choices to the individual’s interests, whether it’s a captivating novel, a favorite genre of music, or a challenging yet beautiful puzzle.
Heating/Cooling Pads
Addressing pain and discomfort is crucial for cancer patients. Heating pads can provide relief for sore muscles or joints, while cooling pads offer comfort during moments of overheating. Many products can be used either for heating or cooling, depending on the needs of the moment.
Soothing Teas
Tea is not just a beverage; it’s a soothing ritual. Gift a variety of teas to cater to different preferences and therapeutic benefits. Herbal teas with calming properties or blends designed for immune support can be particularly thoughtful choices.
Journaling Books, Adult Coloring Books
Encourage self-reflection and stress relief with journaling books or adult coloring books. These activities provide an expressive outlet for emotions and thoughts, offering a therapeutic escape during challenging times.
Entertainment Subscriptions
Give the gift of entertainment with subscriptions to streaming services, audiobook platforms, or e-book services. Cancer patients often spend extended periods in waiting rooms or recovering at home, making these subscriptions a fantastic way to provide distraction and enjoyment during downtime.
Meal Delivery Services
During treatment, energy levels may be low, making meal preparation a daunting task. Gift cards or subscriptions to meal delivery services can provide cancer patients with nutritious and convenient meal options, easing the burden of cooking and ensuring they receive the nourishment they need. These services can also help ease the burden on families with numerous mouths to feed.
Cancer Care Box
Having a hard time choosing a gift? Consider creating a comprehensive Cancer Care Box. Fill it with a combination of pampering items, aromatherapy, entertainment, and throw in a pair of comfy socks to boot! This holistic approach addresses both physical and emotional needs, conveying a message of care and support.
These thoughtful and practical gift ideas are designed to provide comfort, joy, and a sense of normalcy to cancer patients, and they are all approved by our patients and staff! Don’t forget to include a note or card. Sometimes the warm wishes behind the gift are what mean the most. This season, as you spread holiday cheer, consider these heartfelt presents to make a positive impact on the lives of those navigating their cancer journey.
I was enjoying my very busy life as a radiation oncologist, in a relationship, running, going to CrossFit daily, and taking care of three dogs, when my world changed with a simple blood test.
At 3:30 in the afternoon on July 9th, I saw my last new patient of 2013, and was admitted to the hospital at 8 am the next day. I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with multiple critical issues. I was not permitted to leave the hospital for 23 days. It took a village to come to my aid, providing care for my menagerie of pets, including the dogs and two cats, taking care of my house and assuming the care of all of my patients.
While I was in the hospital, I was not able to see my dogs (okay, I snuck out to the sidewalk a couple times, our little secret). After discharge, caring for my dogs gave me the necessary motivation to move, after losing muscle and strength during my stay in the hospital.
During my battle with cancer, my dogs encouraged me to keep going. My biggest challenge came when I received a stem cell transplant from my brother’s bone marrow. A much more brutal treatment than my initial chemotherapy, it included whole-body radiation and even stronger chemotherapy. During this treatment, I was confined to one floor of the hospital, barely leaving my bed, using a central line for all food and fluids. Upon discharge, my dogs’ presence was immensely critical to me getting better.
The treatments that I endured left me very thin, and I felt cold all of the time. My dogs, making up for all of the attention they had missed during my illness, took every chance to pile on top of me which I was grateful for. They kept me warm.
I was so weak I could barely lift a grocery bag. I had so many people who helped me with the daily things I once used to do and took for granted, i.e. meal preparation, cleaning, shopping, etc. I, on the other hand, was a constant companion to my trusty four-legged friends, all of us being distracted only by an occasional nap. When it was time for a potty break they looked at me as if to say, “well, let’s go”! Their need to go out and get some exercise superseded my need to lay there in self-pity.
Fulfilling their needs helped me. In the beginning, it was only walking them, but it was a great place to start on my road to recovery. Continued walks lead to longer walks, and eventually back to running, and back to work, treating other cancer patients and helping them to get back to their lives. I got a little stronger every day, even stronger than I had been before my own cancer diagnosis.
A recent article published in HealthDay News, “Walking the Dog, All the Way to Better Health” reports that your dogs may be more than your furry companion, and that new research suggests that they may also be an effective personal trainer. Dog walkers spend less time sitting which means they are spending more time being physically active.
Project leader Andy Jones said “Physical activity interventions typically try and support people to be active by focusing on the benefits to themselves, but dog walking is also driven by the needs of the animal. Being driven by something other than our own needs might be a really potent motivator and we need to find ways of tapping into it when designing exercise interventions in the future.”
In addition, studies have shown that owning a dog helps with your heart health by lowering anxiety, lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and decreasing triglyceride levels. A study in the journal Gerontologist found that older adults who walked dogs experienced “lower body mass index, fewer activities of daily living limitations, fewer doctor visits, and more frequent moderate and vigorous exercise.”
Other studies tell us that dogs also help with making people less prone to depression, isolation and loneliness.
Despite all of the health benefits, owning a pet can be a big responsibility that doesn’t work for everyone. A good option might be to help out at one of the local animal shelters, all of whom desperately need volunteers to help with exercise and companionship while the animals there wait for a “furr-ever” home. A real win-win!
Author: Curtis Mack, MD is a Radiation Oncologist at Arizona Oncology. Dr. Mack is board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology. He is active on the board of Handi-Dogs, a non-profit organization dedicated to training service and therapy dogs for seniors and those with disabilities in Southern Arizona.
