Cryopreserved semen from cancer patients often effective

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients who have had semen samples cryopreserved because of the possible adverse effects of the malignancy or of its treatment on their subsequent fertility, appear to have about a 50% chance of achieving parenthood, Dutch researchers report in the December issue of Fertility and Sterility.

"Semen cryopreservation should be offered to all male cancer patients," lead investigator Dr. Niels J. van Casteren told Reuters Health, "to offer them some kind of protection against the detrimental effects of chemotherapy, as it is not always clear who will and who will not become permanently infertile."

To determine the usage rate and outcome of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) employing cryopreserved semen, Dr. van Casteren of Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of data on 557 men from whom a total of 749 semen samples were preserved.

Over an average follow-up of 7 years, 91 of the patients died and another 29 requested that their samples be disposed of. However, 42 (7.5%) with post-treatment azoospermia requested that their banked semen be used, and ART data was available for 37 of these men.

A total of 101 ART cycles were performed. Techniques employed were intracytoplasmic sperm injection, in vitro fertilization, cryo-embryo transfer and intrauterine insemination.

In all, 25 children were born, 19 singletons and 3 twins. Two couples were also awaiting a child by the end of the study period, thus achieving a success rate of at least 54%.

Summing up, Dr. van Casteren concluded, "Approximately 9% of those men who survive their malignant disease will use their cryopreserved semen, of whom 50% succeed in achieving fatherhood. These men would not have been able to do this without their stored semen."

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