[Requests for utilization of a semen bank among oncological patients. Semen cryopreservation prior to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery].
OBJECTIVE
Oncological therapies, either surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy, may cause irreversible subfertiliy/infertility. Both chemotherapy and radiotherapy have cytotoxic effects on gametogenesis and there are not preventive alternatives currently available. The objective of this article is to review current criteria for semen cryopreservation and its usefulness as a method for preservation of fertility in patients with cancer.


RESULTS
We reviewed a large group of recent original articles and systematic reviews on the issue with a common feature: evaluation of fertility status after oncological therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Every male patient in fertile age who could wish future fatherhood should be offered the option to storage cryopreserved semen samples before starting oncological therapies, with the exception of patients with azoospermia at the time of diagnosis.
González Casbas
José Manuel
JM
Unidad de Reproducción Asistida y Banco de Semen del Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España.
Calderay Domínguez
Milagros
M
D015925:Cryopreservation; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012662:Semen Preservation; D013074:Sperm Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*