302. Breast Cancer and Fertility: What Every Young Patient Deserves to Know with Kara Bendle

[gentle music] Hello, and welcome to Breast Cancer Conversations, a podcast brought to you by SurvivingBreastCancer.org. I'm Laura Carving, breast cancer survivor and founder of SurvivingBreastCancer.org, a nonprofit organization providing community, education, and resources to empower those diagnosed with breast cancer and their caregivers from day one and beyond.

Hello, hello, my friends, and welcome to another episode of Breast Cancer Conversations.

When you're diagnosed with breast cancer, everything happens so fast: appointments, scans, treatment decisions, conversations about surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, medications.

And in the midst of all of that, many people are focused on one thing, surviving.

But what about the future? Do conversations ever happen around fertility, family planning, hormone health, and the possibility of having children someday? Or simply having the choice to decide what your future could look like? These are deeply personal questions, and yet far too many patients don't learn about these options until after treatment has already started.

Today, I'm joined with Kara Bendel, a registered nurse and the fertility preservation and adolescent and young adult program manager at Cleveland Clinic.

Kara has dedicated her career to helping young people with cancer navigate not only treatment, but also their reproductive, emotional, psychosocial, and practical challenges that come with a diagnosis.

She is a national leader in the oncofertility space, serving on the Navigator Board of Oncofertility Consortium and helping educate healthcare professionals across the country about fertility preservation and survivorship care.

Before we get started today, I do just want to welcome all first-time listeners.

If you are new to Breast Cancer Conversations, welcome.

I am so glad you are here.

If you are an avid listener, oh my God, my heart and love go out to you.

Thank you for always tuning in week after week.

[gentle music] Hello, and welcome to Breast Cancer Conversations, a podcast brought to you by SurvivingBreastCancer.org. I'm Laura Carving, breast cancer survivor and founder of SurvivingBreastCancer.org, a nonprofit organization providing community, education, and resources to empower those diagnosed with breast cancer and their caregivers from day one and beyond.

Hello, hello, my friends, and welcome to another episode of Breast Cancer Conversations.

When you're diagnosed with breast cancer, everything happens so fast: appointments, scans, treatment decisions, conversations about surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, medications.

And in the midst of all of that, many people are focused on one thing, surviving.

But what about the future? Do conversations ever happen around fertility, family planning, hormone health, and the possibility of having children someday? Or simply having the choice to decide what your future could look like? These are deeply personal questions, and yet far too many patients don't learn about these options until after treatment has already started.

Today, I'm joined with Kara Bendel, a registered nurse and the fertility preservation and adolescent and young adult program manager at Cleveland Clinic.

Kara has dedicated her career to helping young people with cancer navigate not only treatment, but also their reproductive, emotional, psychosocial, and practical challenges that come with a diagnosis.

She is a national leader in the oncofertility space, serving on the Navigator Board of Oncofertility Consortium and helping educate healthcare professionals across the country about fertility preservation and survivorship care.

Before we get started today, I do just want to welcome all first-time listeners.

If you are new to Breast Cancer Conversations, welcome.

I am so glad you are here.

If you are an avid listener, oh my God, my heart and love go out to you.

Thank you for always tuning in week after week.