Sperm banking for adolescent and young adult cancer patients: sperm quality, patient, and parent perspectives.
BACKGROUND
Infertility is often a complication for adolescent and young adult males who receive cancer therapy, a problem that might be averted through using cryopreserved sperm. We aim to evaluate feasibility of offering newly diagnosed patients the opportunity to bank sperm and, to determine the beliefs and decision-making processes of patients and their parents who considered sperm banking.


METHODS
Eligible patients and parents were approached and offered sperm cryopreservation. Semen samples from patients who sequentially attempted sperm banking were analyzed. Questionnaires were then administered to patients and parents who had been approached about sperm banking.


RESULTS
Semen samples from 68 patients were analyzed. Nine patients were azoospermic; all had been pre-treated with chemotherapy. Fifty patients completed the questionnaire. Parent and patient made the decision together to bank 80% of the time. All sons who attempted to bank and their parents felt they had made the right decision, including those who attempted but failed.


CONCLUSIONS
Viable sperm can be collected successfully from adolescent and young adults who are newly diagnosed with cancer. Semen quality was dramatically reduced by one course of gonadotoxic therapy. Parents and patients want information regarding sperm cryopreservation early. Parents appear to play an important role in the decision to sperm bank. We recommend sperm banking be offered to all eligible patients.
Ginsberg
Jill P
JP
Division of Oncology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. ginsbergji@email.chop.edu
Ogle
Susan K
SK
Tuchman
Lisa K
LK
Carlson
Claire A
CA
Reilly
Maureen M
MM
Hobbie
Wendy L
WL
Rourke
Mary
M
Zhao
Huaqing
H
Meadows
Anna T
AT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001290:Attitude; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000139:chemically induced; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation; D003657:Decision Making; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D012661:Semen / Q000166:cytology; D013074:Sperm Banks / Q000458:organization & administration; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents