Of the many special issues facing young adults who receive a cancer diagnosis is the concern over fertility. Cancer, chemotherapy, and certain surgeries, can diminish or eliminate the possibility of conceiving a child later on in life. Both women and men can suffer temporary or permanent infertility. New guidelines set out by the American Society of Clinical Oncology hope to provide consistent and comprehensive recommendations for fertility and cancer.- Discussion about infertility as a potential risk of cancer therapy should be initiated with patients of childbearing age as early as possible after diagnosis.
- Physicians should identify whether the patient is at risk for treatment-induced infertility and should discuss with the patient their concerns about infertility and interest in fertility preservation, as well as available treatment options, and the best time to undergo fertility preservation measures, before beginning cancer treatment.
- Patients interested and eligible for fertility preservation should be referred to reproductive specialists to facilitate decision-making and fertility treatment planning.
According to the experts, the two methods of fertility preservation with the highest likelihood of success in cancer patients are embryo cryopreservation for women and sperm cryopreservation for men. However, these procedures take time, and cancer patients considering these options need to do so as soon as possible after the cancer diagnosis.
