Hope for childhood survivors of cancer

For many men, having survived cancer or the treatment for cancer as a child has meant living with infertility. A new study shows that a surgical technique called microdissection testicular sperm extraction (TESE) can locate and remove viable sperm in more than a third of childhood cancer survivors. With the help of in vitro fertilization, these men can become fathers.

The findings are available through the Journal of clinical Oncology.

“It was previously assumed that most male survivors of childhood cancer whose semen contained little to no viable sperm were incapable of fathering children. This study demonstrates that some of these men do in fact still produce healthy sperm, and that this technique can help men experience parenthood,” said senior author Peter Schlegel, MD and chairman of the department of urology at Weill Cornell Me4dical College.

Most men who receive chemotherapy as a child experience sterility as an adult. Although some may regain fertility years after treatment, most, more than two thirds, continue to have very low sperm counts. TESE is a technique which leads doctors to find viable sperm within the testes. This has worked even in cases where the testicles were severely damaged by radiation.

Thirty seven percent of men in the test were able to have viable sperm extracted. Of those, there was a 57% fertilization rate using ICSI. If you think you or someone you know is a candidate for this procedure, ask your doctor.

Source: American Society of Clinical Oncology, ScienceDaily