Cancer Patients Who Are Infertile

With greater access to assisted reproductive techniques like in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination, cancer patients who are infertile have a greater chance of conceiving a child.

Cancer doesn't always mean you have to give up on your dreams of a family

A cancer survivor’s fertility will depend on the type of cancer and the methods used to treat the cancer. If the cancer directly impacts the reproductive organs, the chances are higher that you may experience problems with fertility. In some cases, if the cancer is simply near the reproductive organs or if cancer treatment encompasses the whole body, fertility could be adversely affected from radiation and chemotherapy.

Men who experience testicular, bladder, or prostrate cancer are at a higher risk of losing their ability to reproduce through natural means. Treatment options for these types of cancer often involve surgery to remove the areas affected by the disease. In many cases, this includes removing vital tissues, glands, and organs that create sperm. Other times, treatment may prevent a man from having erections and ejaculating.

Both radiation and chemotherapy can stop sperm production. This will sometimes return after treatment is stopped, but it can take a few years to return to normal production.

Many treatment options for female cancers also cause fertility problems. Radiation that gets absorbed by the ovaries may do so much damage that a woman no longer has viable eggs. Unlike men who continue to produce sperm throughout their lives, women do not produce more eggs. Once they are damaged, they can not be saved.

Treatment options for other types of female cancers may include removing the ovaries, uterus, or cervix. Other hormone-based treatments can also have a negative effect on fertility, though it may improve over time once therapy has stopped.

For both men and women, it’s important that you understand the implications of your cancer treatment as it relates to fertility. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options and discuss any plans you have for starting or increasing your family. If your cancer is not aggressive, your doctor may be able to suggest ways of fighting the cancer that will not inhibit your ability to reproduce.

If your cancer is aggressive and is found in areas of the reproductive system, you may have no other choice but to have those organs removed. Unfortunately, natural fertility may be something that needs to be sacrificed to increase your chances of beating cancer.

If you have enough time between your cancer diagnosis and when you begin treatment, there are several things you can do to protect your ability to have children in the future:

• Sperm banking: Men with cancer are often advised to have their sperm stored in a sperm bank for future use. The sperm bank freezes the sperm and keeps it until it is needed.

• Egg collection: A woman’s eggs may be harvested before she begins cancer treatment. When the woman is ready to try to conceive, the eggs are returned using IVF.

• Embryo storing: Some couples may choose to have their eggs and sperm combined in a lab, created embryos that are frozen. The embryos are later implanted into the uterus via IVF.

• Storing ovarian tissue: In this new procedure, part of a woman’s ovary is removed until her cancer treatment is complete. The tissue is then put back in the woman’s body, allowing it to avoid being affected by the cancer treatment. The success rate of this procedure is low, since it is still in its early stages.

• Donor options: In some cases, donor eggs or sperm may need to be used if there is not enough time to collect viable samples from the patient before undergoing treatment or if fertility isn’t achieved using the original eggs or sperm.

Unfortunately, the cost of most fertility treatments is very high and usually not covered by insurance. Cancer patients who are infertile may be able to find financial support to help with the cost of fertility treatments through organizations like Fertile Hope. This non-profit connects cancer patients with financing options and grants for treatment.

As scary as a diagnosis of cancer is, there are many options available to cancer patients who want children in the future. Even when fertility is affected by the cancer treatment, measures can often be taken before treatment begins to protect fertility. It’s important that cancer patients speak candidly with their doctors about their plans for children so all options can be explored before treatment.

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