Cryopreserved Sperm from Men with Malignancies Can Produce Pregnancies

Preserving sperm before cancer therapy can enhance the likelihood of later fatherhood.

As survival rates after cancer rise, more emphasis has been placed on preserving fertility despite probable chemotherapy- and radiation-induced sterility in both men and women. Does cryopreservation of sperm before treatment allow men who survive cancer to father children later? To address this issue, researchers evaluated data from all 118 couples who underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures with pretreatment cryopreserved sperm during a 12-year period at a single center in New York City.

Before cancer treatment, about 43% of men had at least one abnormal parameter in their semen analyses, and about 20% had very-low total sperm counts (<5>

Comment

Data on the health of the children born to this cohort are still limited, but no evidence has accrued to date for excess genetic abnormalities. Although we must remain cautious, these findings emphasize the need to discuss future fatherhood with young men who have malignancies and to encourage cryopreservation of sperm before cancer treatments.

— Robert W. Rebar, MD