January 2024

UROLOGY

EXPERTS OUTLINE NORTHWESTERN’S ONCOFERTILITY PROGRAM

Featuring: Robert E. Brannigan, MD, and Joshua A. Halpern, MD, M

Episode Summary

In a video discussion published to Urology Times, Robert E. Brannigan, MD, vice chair of Clinical Urology at Northwestern Medicine, is joined by Joshua A. Halpern, MD, MS, adjunct assistant professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine, and Kristen Smith, program manager for Fertility Preservation at the Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine. They discuss oncofertility at Northwestern Medicine, which provides fertility preservation treatments for people diagnosed with cancer or conditions that may affect their reproductive capabilities.

The team discussed the multidisciplinary collaboration between urology, endocrinology, oncology and laboratory staff to identify what fertility preservation options are available. Dr. Brannigan, Dr. Halpern and Smith also emphasize the crucial role of lab staff in handling small quantities of sperm, as cancer patients often have low sperm counts due to immune responses triggered by the disease.

They also discussed advances in oncofertility research at Northwestern Medicine and beyond, particularly for prepubertal patients, highlighting a groundbreaking study involving rhesus monkeys, where prepubertal testicular tissue was successfully grafted back onto the monkeys. This resulted in the production of mature sperm that could be used for IVF. Although not yet ready for clinical implementation, this research holds promise for addressing the challenges faced by prepubertal patients in preserving their fertility.
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Listen to the full conversation.
Robert E. Brannigan, MD, Vice Chair of Clinical Urology, Chief of Male Reproductive Medicine and Men's Health, and Professor of Urology
​Joshua A. Halpern, MD, MS, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urology.
Kristin Smith, Program Manager for Fertility Preservation, Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine
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