FATHERHOOD AFTER CANCER

Half of Male Cancer Patients Aren't Told About Sperm Banking

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical News

© 2002 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

April 11, 2002 -- Many men with cancer are unaware that their disease and treatment may make it more difficult for them to have children in the future. And even more don't know that they can easily bank sperm to allow them to eventually become fathers.

A new survey shows only 60% of men with cancer recall being told that infertility may be a side effect of their treatment, and just over half were ever told about sperm banking. Despite advances in cancer therapies, researchers say infertility is still a common consequence of treatment and all men who are about to undergo treatment should be fully informed about the risks and alternatives.

The study, published in the April 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, surveyed 201 men diagnosed with cancer about their attitudes and awareness of cancer-related fertility issues.

Among the men exposed to cancer treatments known to potentially damage fertility, only 51% remembered anyone mentioning the option of sperm banking before their treatment. Sperm banking was much more likely to be talked about as an option at private oncology clinics than at cancer centers or in local hospitals.

Researchers say new in vitro fertilization techniques mean that freezing a very small amount of sperm before treatment begins is enough to provide a good chance of conceiving a biological child.

The survey found the most common reason for not banking sperm was not being given information about it by their healthcare team. Men who were not offered sperm banking as an option were less likely to choose to freeze their sperm than those who talked about it with their healthcare provider (11% vs. 36%).

A third of the men surveyed also seemed to be unaware that semen quality and fertility was often reduced after cancer diagnosis, or that even with today's cancer treatments most male patients will not recover good fertility.

Study author Leslie Schover, PhD, of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and colleagues found having cancer often increases the importance men put on family closeness and their desire to be a good father. And nearly a quarter of the men who where childless when they were diagnosed with cancer say their experience has heightened their desire to have children.

"[W]e believe these data make a strong case that oncology health care providers are not routinely meeting men's needs for information about infertility and sperm banking," conclude the authors. "Men continue to value parenthood despite their experience of cancer, and are often distressed about their cancer-related infertility, especially if they are childless."

Medically Reviewed
By Gary Vogin, MD