It has been our pleasure to edit the first book on an interdisciplinary science we call oncofertility. Oncofertility bridges traditional areas of basic science and medical research, brings together oncologists and fertility specialists, and hopes to provide real options to young people who survive life-preserving but fertility-threatening treatments for cancer. The chapters in this book range from basic discovery research to reproductive medicine and from social science and the humanities to a section on stories from those who have survived cancer and have faced issues of fertility deprivation or restoration. Specifically, we have addressed three main areas: the underlying biological questions surrounding follicle growth and cryo-preservation of tissue; the application of the new technology to medical practice; and, the psychosocial implications of cancer-related infertility and oncofertility research for patients and their families. These questions are interlinking and require teams of investigators working in concert to solve a major unmet need. The book is a comprehensive initial definition of the field and we anticipate a great many more breakthroughs that will eventually provide a menu of options to those with fertility-threatening conditions. The editors thank the Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction and Infertility Research (U54 HD041857) and the Institute for Women¿s Health Research of Northwestern University for funding and support of this book. Teresa K.

While cancer survival rates have increased steadily over the last several decades, particularly among younger patients, the more aggressive forms of treatment that have made this possible often compromise a cancer patient's ability to later have biological children. In the past, pregnancy after cancer was extremely rare. Today it is increasingly a possibility due to high survivorship rates in general and emerging reproductive technologies that give patients and their families options at the time of diagnosis to ensure a patient's future fertility.

The Emergence of a New Interdiscipline: Oncofertility.- Fertility Risk and Treatment Options.- Fertility Management for Women With Cancer.- Fertility Preservation in Adult Male Cancer Patients.- Managing Fertility in Childhood Cancer Patients.- Fertility Risk in Pediatric and Adolescent Cancers.- Oncofertility Techniques and Research.- Bioengineering and the Ovarian Follicle.- The Science of Cryobiology.- Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation and Transplantation: Banking Reproductive Potential for the Future.- Progress, History and Promise of Ovarian Cryopreservation and Transplantation for Pediatric Cancer Patients.- Health Care Decision-Making.- Oncofertility and the Social Sciences.- Shared Decision Making: Fertility and Pediatric Cancers.- Ethical and Psychosocial Impact of Cancer-Related Infertility.- Today's Research, Tomorrows Cures: The Ethical Implications of Oncofertility.- The Psychosocial Context of Cancer-Related Infertility.- Childhood Cancer: Fertility and Psychosocial Implications.- Fertility Preservation and Adolescent Cancer Patients: Lessons from Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer and Their Parents.- Training in a New Medical Discipline and Medical Guidelines.- Oncofertility: A New Medical Discipline and the Emerging Scholar.- Oncofertility Consortium Consensus Statement: Guidelines for Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation.- Patient Stories and Oncofertility.- Personal Accounts of Cancer and Infertility.