Adoption and fostering in paediatric and adolescent cancer survivors

Protocol development- Full protocol
Ethics status – Ethics to be submitted in May 2016 and predicted to be ready to start the project on the 1st July 2016.
Study Team – Dr Anazodo Anazodo, Miss Eden Robertson Dr Shanna Logan, Mrs Brigitte Gerstl, Miss Tharani TharmakumarTreatment for cancer has adverse affects on the human body including infertility.
Now that the overall survival rates for cancer patients are increasing, there has been an increasing focus on research into fertility preservation for cancer patients. However, there is not a lot of research on the intersection of cancer survivors and one of the most well known options for people who cannot biologically have children is adoption. Although some non-biological fertility reproductive options are available such as donor eggs, donor sperm and surrogacy, some cancer patients choose to consider fostering and adoption as an option.
Hypothesis

Cancer survivors experience significant challenges fostering or adopting in Australia

Aims

• To identify the challenges that cancer survivors have with adopting children in Australia and internationally.
• To document the information available to cancer survivors about adoption and fostering services in Australia.
• To document cancer survivor’s views about adoption and fostering prior to starting the process and document the experiences of cancer patients with adoption and fostering services in Australia and Internationally.

Methods

Stage 1 – Literature review on adoption and fostering services available and the challenges experienced in Australia.

Stage 2 – Undertake a questionnaire with available fostering and adoption services in Australia to look at the criteria for fostering and adoption for cancer patients.

Stage 3 – Undertake a mixed methods study with cancer survivors to document the decisions that lead cancer survivors either deciding to undertake adoption or fostering or to make the decision not to go down this path.