Vehicles and Pathways for Disseminating Fertility Preservation Information Among Cancer Patients: A Scoping Review

This study aims to conduct a scoping review to systematically map and summarize the existing evidence regarding the carriers and pathways used to disseminate fertility preservation information among cancer patients. Advances in cancer treatment have significantly improved survival rates among patients of reproductive age. However, many cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery, may lead to impaired fertility or infertility. Fertility preservation has therefore become an important component of comprehensive cancer care. Timely access to accurate information about fertility preservation enables cancer patients to make informed reproductive decisions before the initiation of cancer treatment. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of fertility preservation, many cancer patients report insufficient knowledge and limited access to relevant information. Effective dissemination of fertility preservation information plays a crucial role in improving patient awareness, facilitating shared decision-making, and supporting patient-centered care. Various carriers and pathways have been used to deliver fertility preservation information, such as physician–patient communication, nurse-led counseling, educational materials, decision aids, websites, mobile applications, and social media platforms. However, the existing evidence on fertility preservation information dissemination is scattered across different disciplines, including oncology, reproductive medicine, nursing, and health communication. A comprehensive synthesis of the carriers and pathways used for fertility preservation information dissemination is currently lacking. Therefore, this scoping review will systematically identify and map the types of information dissemination carriers and pathways reported in the literature. The review will summarize the characteristics of different dissemination approaches and explore reported outcomes related to fertility preservation information delivery. The findings of this review are expected to provide a comprehensive overview of current fertility preservation information dissemination strategies for cancer patients. The results may help identify research gaps and inform the development of more effective communication and educational interventions aimed at improving fertility preservation awareness and decision-making among cancer patients.