Barriers and Opportunities of Oncofertility Practice in Nine Developing Countries and the Emerging Oncofertility Professional Engagement Network

PURPOSEOncofertility practice continues to grow in developing countries despite the lack of health care services, especially those related to cancer care. The purpose of this study is to further explore oncofertility practice in these countries and identify opportunities for field-wide coalescence.METHODSWe generated a survey to learn more about oncofertility practice in nine developing countries within our Oncofertility Consortium Global Partners Network—Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina, Chile, Nigeria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and India. Their responses were collected, reviewed, and discussed.RESULTSSurveyed centers from the nine developing countries continue to experience a similar set of common challenges, including a lack of awareness among providers and patients, cultural and religious constraints, lack of insurance coverage and funding to help to support oncofertility programs, and high out-of-pocket costs for patients. Despite these barriers, many opportunities exist and there is great po...