Spotlight on Publication

We are spotlighting the work of Dr Michelle Peate and Dr Rebecca Szabo who recently published in The Lancet Oncology, ANZJOG and The Medical Journals of Australia.

Dr Michelle Peate was an author on the paper, “Communication and ethical considerations for fertility preservation for patients with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer: recommendations from the PanCareLIFE Consortium and the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group” which was published in The Lancet Oncology in February 2021.

Patients with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer who will be treated with gonadotoxic therapies are at increased risk for infertility. Many patients and their families desire biological children but effective communication about treatment-related infertility risk and procedures for fertility preservation does not always happen. The PanCareLIFE Consortium and the International Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Guideline Harmonization Group reviewed the literature and developed a clinical practice guideline that provides recommendations for ongoing communication methods for fertility preservation for patients who were diagnosed with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer at age 25 years or younger and their families. Moreover, the guideline panel formulated considerations of the ethical implications that are associated with these procedures. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology was used to grade the evidence and recommendations. In this clinical practice guideline, existing evidence and international expertise are combined to develop transparent recommendations that are easy to use to facilitate ongoing communication between health-care providers and patients with childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer who might be at high risk for fertility impairment and their families.

The article can be found at this link

Dr Rebecca Szabo was the corresponding author on the paper “Covid‐19 changes to maternity care: Experiences of Australian doctors” which was published in ANZJOG in February 2021.

The COVID‐19 pandemic meant rapid changes to Australian maternity services. All maternity services have undertaken significant changes in relation to policies, service delivery and practices and increased use of personal protective equipment. The aim of this study was to explore and describe doctors’ experiences of providing maternity care during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Australia.

The article can be found at this link

Dr Rebecca Szabo also authored the reflections article “Hippocrates would be on Twitter” which appeared in The Medical Journal of Australia online in December 2020.  

The focus of the article is on Twitter as the principal social media platform embraced globally by health care and science professionals to freely communicate with each other, journalists, politicians and the public to openly share expert information.

The full article can be found at this  link