title: Reproductive prognosis in male patients with azoospermia at the time of cancer diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fertility status evaluation in patients found azoospermic at the time of malignancy diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Hospital Sperm Banking service.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male cancer patients found azoospermic between 1986 and June 2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were interviewed about their reproductive history and were invited for a free semen analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnancy rate (PR) and percentage of patients with viable spermatozoa in the ejaculate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five patients were enrolled; 16 were lost at follow-up, 7 died, and 42 were followed to the end of the study. The median (range) time of follow-up for the 42 remaining patients was 9 years (2-14 years). Seventeen patients had wanted to father a child; 12 had a child (71%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 48%-88%). Semen analysis results were available in 11 patients. Resumption of spermatogenesis was documented in 9 cases (82%, 95% CI 53%-97%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spontaneous fertility recovery is frequent in patients who are azoospermic at the time of cancer diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. g.ragni@icp.mi.it
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ragni
authors.forename: Mariangela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arnoldi
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Somigliana
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paffoni
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Restelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011379:Prognosis; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology