Oncofertility Knowledge Among Internal Medicine Residents in an Academic Center in Mexico.

Abstract

Guidelines recommend discussing fertility preservation with patients with cancer. In Mexico, internists frequently are the primary care provider (PCP) for adults in reproductive age. The knowledge of oncofertility among PCPs in low and middle income countries is poorly known. Internal medicine residents in a tertiary care hospital in Mexico City participated in a survey regarding fertility concepts in cancer patients. Sixty-three residents participated; their median age was 27. Thirty percent reported 0% self-perceived confidence for providing counseling about fertility issues, and 26% reported more than 50% self-perceived confidence. Twenty-eight percent reported not asking patients in reproductive age about satisfied parity/paternity. Eighty-one percent correctly identified patients that should receive fertility counseling, and 68% identified alkylating chemotherapy as having the highest risk of infertility. Fifty-four percent were able to name at least one fertility preservation (FP) strategy for males, whereas 49% were able to name at least one strategy in females. Residents who reported at least 50% self-perceived confidence for providing fertility counseling were more likely to name at least one FP strategy for men (64.7%) versus those who reported less than 50% self-perceived confidence (52.1%), but this result was not statistically significant (p = 0.378). This was similar for FP strategies in women, with 64.7% of more confident residents naming at least one, compared with 43.4% of less confident residents (p = 0.134). Knowledge of FP in patients with cancer is insufficient among internal medicine residents in our institution. Inclusion of oncofertility concepts in the internal medicine program is needed.