2017 Volume 54 Issue 3 Pages 229-235
Recent childhood cancer treatment requires minimum late effects as well as treatment of the disease to improve the quality of survivorship. Fertility preservation has become an important issue in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. Our fertility preservation strategy for AYA patients is to provide information on their estimated infertility risks on the basis of the treatment plan and consultation with an oncofertility specialist according to the patient’s decision. Seventeen patients from February 2006 to November 2015 were referred for fertility preservation (male:female=15:2; 15–24 years). The patients include 6 with acute leukemia, 4 with lymphomas, 4 with osteosarcomas and chondrosarcomas, 2 with rhabdomyosarcomas, and 1 with a medulloblastoma. Thirteen of the 17 patients, namely, those with lymphomas and solid tumors, consulted an oncofertility institute before starting chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Four acute leukemia patients underwent fertility preservation after the initiation of therapy. Twelve male patients out of 15 successfully cryopreserved their sperms. One female lymphoma patient underwent counselling and decided not to preserve her gametes since she prioritized an early start of chemotherapy. The patient with medulloblastoma was provided information about the choice of fertility preservation after a high infertility probability after the therapy was determined. She chose to cryopreserve her ovarian tissue. It would be essential for fertility preservation in AYA cancer patients to provide accurate information on the basis of the probability of infertility caused by the anticancer treatments and to promptly refer patients to fertility specialists when the patients decide to do so.
