Male cancer patients could preserve fertility

Many men whose fertility is threatened are not being told about options to ensure their ability to have children. According to new research published in the Annals of Oncology men, particularly those managing cancer, are not being offered a chance to store and freeze their sperm for future use.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued Guidelines which state that men and even adolescent boys who receive cancer treatment should routinely be offered the chance to store their sperm in the event that treatment causes infertility.

Currently this isn’t the case. In a study, researchers at the University of Warwick and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust found only half of oncologists across the UK made information on sperm banking available to their patients. And despite the fact that national guidelines mandate the offering of such services, only 21% of clinicians knew that this was a standard.

Dr. Ann Adams, study author from Warwick Medical School, said, “Our findings are very concerning and show that doctors in the UK aren’t following sperm banking guidance, meaning many men are missing the opportunity to store their sperm for the future. Instead it appears that clinicians are deciding who is offered the chance to bank sperm based on their own personal beliefs, attitudes and assumptions about their patients’ likelihood of starting a family in the future.”

Women have long been focused on losing their fertility during cancer treatment and it appears men too are not getting vital information to preserve their ability to make a family. If you or someone you know is going through these types of treatments, be sure to talk to your doctor about options. There are many and they are increasingly successful.

Source: University of Warwick, ScienceDaily