For men who have banked sperm prior to cancer treatment, new strategies are needed to encourage ongoing fertility monitoring programs
Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy may lead to long-term infertility, so sperm banking is routinely recommended for all men diagnosed with cancer.
Yet, according to University of Sheffield researchers, a large percentage of male cancer patients are not receiving appropriate fertility advice.
For the study, Dr Allan Pacey, Senior Lecturer in Andrology, and Professor Christine Eiser, Professor in Psychology, sent questionnaires to 499 male cancer survivors between the ages of 18 and 55. All study participants had undergone cancer treatment more than 5 years prior and had taken the opportunity to bank sperm.
Of the 193 responses, over one-third (36%) of men had never attended a follow-up appointment to assess their fertility. Another one-third (33%) only attended on 1 occasion.
Male cancer patients may need to attend follow-up appointments to assess their fertility and receive appropriate fertility advice in the years after they have been discharged from cancer treatment. These appointments are important in light of current UK sperm banking regulations, which state that sperm samples should be disposed of after 10 years if ongoing infertility cannot be confirmed.
Pacey said, “Trying to engage men with this subject is notoriously difficult. For those of us who run sperm banks, many men store their sperm and then do not contact us again, even though there are legal reasons to keep in contact.”
Men who did not attend follow-up appointments were found to most likely have:
- Suffered fewer side effects at the time of treatment
- Had a negative experience when banking sperm
- Held a more negative attitude regarding the disposal of sperm
Study results show education strategies are necessary from the time of cancer diagnosis. Men need to be informed about the importance of fertility monitoring as well as encouraged to attend follow-up appointments. Receiving timely letters from clinics highlighting the benefits of appointment attendance may be beneficial.
Eiser said, “Sperm banking is highly valued by men who want the option to have children once cancer treatment is completed. Our research found that many men do not know how cancer treatment can affect their fertility or the likelihood of fertility recovery over the long-term. Having received a cancer diagnosis, patients immediately need to take in a lot of information regarding treatments and side effects and it can be challenging to discuss potential longer-term effects on fertility at this time. We therefore need a mechanism to ensure that men are given information about fertility issues at a later date and certainly before treatment ends.”
Source: The University of Sheffield.