Sperm quality before treatment in patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma enrolled in EORTC-GELA Lymphoma Group trials.
BACKGROUND
Although widely recommended, cryopreservation of sperm is sometimes not performed for patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma because of presumed poor sperm quality related to the disease. We investigated sperm quality and factors determining it in untreated patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma.


METHODS
Of 2362 males who participated in EORTC H6-H9 trials, 474 (20%) had data available. Sperm quality was defined according to World Health Organization guidelines. Determining factors were studied by logistic regression analysis.


RESULTS
The median sperm concentration was 40x10(6)/mL (range, 0-345x10(6)/mL) and the median motility 50% (range, 0-90%). Sperm quality was good (concentration >or=20x10(6)/mL and motility >or=50%), intermediate (concentration >or=5x10(6)/mL) and poor (concentration <5x10(6)/mL but >0) in 41%, 49% and 7% of patients, respectively. Three percent of the patients were azoospermic. No relation was found between sperm quality and age or clinical stage of the Hodgkin's lymphoma, but B-symptoms and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate predicted poor sperm quality. The odds ratios for the association of poor sperm quality with the variables examined were: presence of B-symptoms, 2.77 (95% CI, 1.50-5.12; p=0.001); erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 50 mm/h or greater, 2.35 (95% CI, 1.24-4.43; p=0.009); fever, 3.22 (95% CI, 1.41-7.33; p=0.005), and night sweats, 3.78 (95% CI, 1.97-7.26; p<0.001). There was no relation between sperm quality and pre-treatment follicle stimulating hormone level.


CONCLUSIONS
In this large study of males with Hodgkin's lymphoma, 90% had good or intermediate sperm quality. Three percent were azoospermic. There was an association between sperm quality and the presence or absence of B-symptoms, in particular fever and night sweats. With modern fertilization techniques, in most patients with early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma sperm quality before treatment is good enough for future fatherhood.
Department of Hematology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
Marleen A E
MA
van der Kaaij
Natacha
N
Heutte
Jannie
J
van Echten-Arends
John M M
JM
Raemaekers
Patrice
P
Carde
Evert M
EM
Noordijk
Christophe
C
Fermé
José
J
Thomas
Houchingue
H
Eghbali
Pauline
P
Brice
Caroline
C
Bonmati
Michel
M
Henry-Amar
Hanneke C
HC
Kluin-Nelemans
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D005334:Fever / Q000150:complications; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult
D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone