2022 Volume 2 Issue 2 Pages 38-44
With advances in cancer treatment, the survival rate of young patients, both male and female, has improved significantly. However, some patients lose their fertility due to treatment. Cytotoxic treatments such as anticancer drug treatment and radiation therapy affect spermatogenesis temporarily or permanently. The degree of spermatogenic disorders depends on the drug used, its total amount, the site of radiation therapy, and the dose. ASCO has created a fertility risk classification by treatment, which is now widely used in fertility preservation treatments. Fertility preservation programs are being promoted in men to prevent spermatogenic failure due to cancer treatment and post-treatment azoospermia. For patients who can ejaculate and if sperm are present in the semen, the semen is cryopreserved. However, for patients who cannot be ejaculated or has azoospermia or severe oligozoospermia, and spermatogenesis has not yet started, perform a biopsy to retrieve sperm or germ cells and cryopreserve them. However, although germ cell-to-sperm differentiation induction has been successful in animal experiments, not yet been successful in humans. Although sperm preservation has become widespread in recent years, it is difficult to say that all oncologists and healthcare professionals involved in cancer treatment have sufficient knowledge about fertility preservation. Information sharing and cooperation between assisted reproductive technology specialists and oncologists is essential for the development of sperm and fertility preservation. In Japan, a network of clinics and hospitals that support fertility preservation is being developed mainly in prefectures.
