Intended Parents with Cancer
Surrogacy for Cancer Survivors
As a cancer survivor, you may have thought that holding your baby in your arms was something you'd never get to experience. With Circle Surrogacy, your aspirations of having a family can become reality with our comprehensive surrogacy process, fixed-cost program, and experienced team.
With more than 30 years of experience and 4,000+ babies born, we've supported intended parents on their path to parenthood, including cancer survivors. Cancer is a common medical diagnosis that leads families to surrogacy, and survivors are one of the largest communities we support.
Infertility After Cancer
Cancer and its treatment can affect your fertility, though it varies from person to person. Factors that can influence fertility include:
Age at the time of treatment: Younger women and men are less likely to experience infertility after cancer treatment because they are more likely to have a larger number of healthy eggs or sperm. Women treated before age 35 have the best chance of becoming pregnant after treatment.
Type of surgery: Some surgeries involving the pelvis or abdominal region may impact fertility. For example, removing tumors in the pelvis might cause scarring that could prevent a pregnancy.
Type of treatment: Different cancer treatments can affect your ability to have a baby in different ways. Chemotherapy and radiation may damage reproductive organs, causing temporary or permanent infertility, while hormone therapy can make it difficult to conceive.
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Experiencing infertility after cancer can be an emotionally difficult time. As you begin looking forward — and to family building — there are considerations unique to you. There are options for you to become a parent after cancer.
Circle’s experienced team will answer your questions and be by your side from your very first conversation. Our team includes cancer survivors and parents through surrogacy, who can share their stories and personal experiences with you.
As you think about building your family, consider the options below as a guide for your first steps:
Using your own eggs: If you were able to undergo fertility preservation methods (i.e., egg preservation), you can explore using IVF to carry a pregnancy.
Working with an egg donor: If you were unable to preserve eggs and can no longer do so, you may choose to work with an egg donor. However, you may still be able to carry your baby to term.
Working with a surrogate: If your cancer or treatment has affected your ability to carry a baby, you may choose to work with a surrogate (gestational carrier). You may or may not require the assistance of an egg donor as well.
You should speak to your oncologist and/or a reproductive endocrinologist (some of whom are specialists in oncofertility, the field focused on protecting fertility during cancer treatment) to determine what would be the best option for you.
Surrogacy Support for Cancer Survivors
Our family-building programs allow cancer survivors to find the right path to parenthood.
With a deep understanding of infertility after cancer, Circle will work with you to ensure you are ready emotionally, mentally, and physically to begin a surrogacy journey.
Surrogate Screening
After a cancer diagnosis, many intended parents have questions about their surrogate’s physical health. With Circle, every surrogate goes through a comprehensive medical and psychological screening to ensure they're prepared for the journey ahead. Our surrogates come from the top 4% of applicants because we take our surrogates’ health and your peace of mind seriously.
Once our surrogates successfully complete the screening process, they are ready to be matched with intended parents through our proprietary MatchMade™ process. With MatchMade™, one of our Matching Specialists will match you with a surrogate whose preferences and expectations align with yours. The goal is to match you with a surrogate who is genuinely compatible with you beyond what's on paper. That way, you can build the foundation for a healthy relationship from the very first meeting.
Financial Support
Many cancer survivors are managing medical expenses alongside surrogacy costs. Several organizations offer financial assistance specifically for cancer survivors pursuing family building, including Livestrong, Expect Miracles Foundation, and Worth the Wait. These organizations may help reduce the cost of fertility treatments, egg or sperm preservation, or surrogacy expenses. Our team can help you explore financing resources that fit your situation, including a partnership with Sunfish, along with strategies like employer benefits, loans, and grants.
Legal Support
The legal aspect of surrogacy can be complex, but our in-house legal team walks you through each milestone, from drafting your surrogacy agreement to establishing your parental rights. Our attorneys represent you and only you, and your surrogate's independent counsel is funded as part of your program. We’re available to answer any questions that come up along the way.
Why Cancer Survivors Choose Circle as Their Agency
Cancer survivors choose Circle as their partner agency for family building because of our more than 30 years of experience with surrogacy, our compassionate team, and our program offerings, which include:
Full-Service In-House Team
We’re a full-service agency with in-house mental health professionals, lawyers, intake associates, and accountants. This means we coordinate the entire surrogacy side of your journey.
Staff With Personal Experience
We can connect you with a member of our team who has built their family through surrogacy after a cancer diagnosis, and who is glad to talk through what that was like.
Flexible Program Options
We offer a variety of programs so you can choose the one that best fits your needs, whether you need surrogacy only, egg donation, or both. We can also customize your path to parenthood, so you’re only pursuing what makes sense for you.
Extensive Clinic Network
Circle partners with nearly 400 clinic partners across the United States, so there's a strong chance we already work with your clinic for seamless coordination. We're also happy to connect with a new clinic or help you find the right fit if you haven't chosen one yet.
Fresh and Third-Party Donor Options
If you need an egg donor to grow your family, our team is ready to provide guidance and support. Circle offers an in-house egg donor database of thoroughly screened fresh donors, and maintains trusted partnerships with third-party agencies and clinics if you prefer a frozen donor or want options beyond our donor pool. This means a simpler journey where you can explore egg donation and surrogacy through one agency.
Dedicated Support
With Circle, you get support and empathy from a dedicated, passionate staff. Nearly 50% of our staff have been a surrogate, intended parent, or egg donor, or have grown their families through surrogacy, IVF, or adoption.
Cancer Survivor Community
We offer a networking group for intended parents in our program who have come to surrogacy after a medical diagnosis, such as cancer. You can connect with others who share your experience and relate to your personal circumstances.
Partnerships and Organizations
Over the years, Circle has supported and solidified partnerships with cancer-focused organizations and groups. We keep an ongoing presence with Stupid Cancer, including their CancerCon and summit events. Through speaking engagements and conferences, we've also previously partnered with:
The Young Survival Coalition
The Oncofertility Consortium
Gilda's Club
Immerman's Angels
Worth the Wait
We’ve also participated in events such as Stupid Cancer’s CancerCon and summits.
Through these partnerships, we connect with the oncofertility community and stay close to the challenges cancer survivors face. Many of these organizations also offer peer support networks and resources that can connect you with others who understand your experience and complement your surrogacy journey with Circle.
FAQs for Surrogacy After Cancer
Below you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about pursuing surrogacy after cancer. You can read our full list of FAQs about the general surrogacy process from intended parents here.
No, you do not have to wait until you finish treatment to apply. We encourage all survivors, regardless of stage or course of treatment, to reach out and connect with us. Our Manager of Intended Parent Support is happy to meet with you, discuss your personal circumstances, and help create a timeline that works for you and your health.
Yes. We can connect you with a member of our team who has built their family through surrogacy after cancer and is glad to share that experience with you. We also offer a networking group for intended parents in our program who have come to surrogacy after a medical diagnosis, such as cancer. You’ll have the opportunity to meet and connect with other intended parents who may have had similar experiences that led them to surrogacy.
Surrogacy after cancer treatment may look different than the path other intended parents take, depending on whether cancer and its treatment impacted fertility. However, even if cancer led to infertility, that does not mean you are disqualified from surrogacy. Surrogacy is one path for cancer survivors who want to grow their family without carrying a pregnancy.
Surrogacy costs are the same for all intended parents working with Circle, regardless of medical history. Our fixed-cost Journey Protection™ Program costs $189,500, and covers agency fees, surrogate base pay, legal fees, and insurance costs, with no surprise additions. The only costs our program does not include are IVF and egg donor costs.
Not always. Some cancer survivors use their own eggs or embryos if they were frozen before they started cancer treatment. Others may use their own eggs if cancer or treatment didn’t affect their fertility, but carrying a pregnancy poses medical risks. Your fertility doctor can give you the clearest picture of your options, and we'll support whichever direction makes sense for you, whether you need an egg donor or a surrogate only.
Take the Next Step
Parenthood after cancer is possible, and we can help you get there. If you're ready to explore surrogacy, the first step is to reach out. We'll answer your questions, talk through your specific situation, and clarify what your surrogacy journey could look like. Fill out Circle’s inquiry form, and we'll be in touch soon.
Testimonial
"After having cancer, we knew that we would need help to become parents. Circle was there for us every step of our journey. We chose Circle because of the care and consideration they showed us from the very first meeting. Our surrogate also had her own supports in place at the agency, which gave us the confidence that she also had what she needed throughout the surrogacy. We are grateful for our son and everyone who helped bring him to us!"
Jen
Circle Parent and Manager of Intended Parent Support
Testimonial
"After having cancer, we knew that we would need help to become parents. Circle was there for us every step of our journey. We chose Circle because of the care and consideration they showed us from the very first meeting. Our surrogate also had her own supports in place at the agency, which gave us the confidence that she also had what she needed throughout the surrogacy. We are grateful for our son and everyone who helped bring him to us!"
Jen
Circle Parent and Manager of Intended Parent Support