Effects of cancer on spermatozoa quality after cryopreservation: a 12-year experience.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether type of cancer and response to treatment was related to prefreeze or post-thaw semen quality and to predict post-thaw sperm motility from prefreeze motility.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Tertiary care institution.


METHODS
One hundred six cancer patients cryopreserving their semen specimens.


METHODS
Computer-assisted semen analysis was performed before and after cryopreservation on each patient specimen.


METHODS
The relationship of sperm motility and motion characteristics to type of cancer and patient's response to treatment.


RESULTS
Prefreeze and post-thaw semen quality did not differ between patients presenting with testicular cancer and Hodgkin's disease. Patients with leukemia or advanced soft tissue cancer had a higher prefreeze and post-thaw motility and higher total and motile sperm count than testicular and Hodgkin's disease patients. A prefreeze sperm motility of > or = 15% could predict a post-thaw motility of > 10%.


CONCLUSIONS
Prefreeze or post-thaw semen quality in cancer patients is not affected (except the prefreeze motile sperm count within the testicular cancer patients) by the type of disease. Prefreeze motility can predict post-thaw motility. Cryopreservation of semen should be offered to cancer patients irrespective of the type of disease.
Padron
O F
OF
Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195, USA.
Sharma
R K
RK
Thomas
A J
AJ
Agarwal
A
A
D000328:Adult; D015925:Cryopreservation; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome