Preserving Fertility For After Cancer Treatment
Cancer can take so much from people. In particular, children and younger adults face the risk of infertility after beating cancer. Therapies like radiation and even chemotherapy carry the risk of creating sterility in both male and female cancer patients. While the concern might be lower in older adults who are no longer interested in family planning, the concern is much higher the younger the patient. Thankfully, oncofertility preventative measures can be taken to ensure that a person who survives cancer can go on to either start or expand a family.
Ovarian tissue freezing
Ovarian tissue freezing involves extracting and freezing tissue from the ovarian cortex. The process can be beneficial since the treatment is ideal for younger female patients who haven’t reached puberty. Similarly, adult women with more aggressive forms of cancer who need to start treatment immediately may elect for tissue freezing because of the longer timeline associated with harvesting fully matured eggs. Since egg stimulation isn’t required, a patient may have either part or the entire ovary removed in an oophorectomy. Once extracted, a laboratory specialist removes the layer of the ovary with the eggs and cuts the tissue into smaller pieces. Afterwards, the material is frozen.
Egg harvesting
If a woman with a cancer diagnosis can wait, egg harvesting that follows what a person would experience with traditional fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) or donation may be an option. The process can take anywhere from two to three weeks to complete, which is why individuals with more aggressive forms of cancer who need immediate treatment are not good candidates for the procedure.
Providing sperm samples
Preserving fertility after cancer often centers on women, but men can also fall victim to the issue. While testicular cancer is a specific form that can directly cause infertility, similar to women, chemotherapy and radiation can also cause sterility in men. One common workaround is to provide a semen sample before beginning treatment. However, patients with testicular cancer may already have low sperm counts or other mobility and motility issues because of the disease.
Intracytoplasmic sperm injection
Specifically for men diagnosed with testicular cancer, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can be a solution to boost conception odds. The procedure can be performed with IVF or even intrauterine insemination (IUI). ICSI uses a needle to inject a single sperm into the center of an egg. The process speeds up traditional fertilization timelines and improves conception chances. ICSI is great for men with low sperm counts.
IVF and IUI for conception in remission
Another solution once a woman or man is in remission includes relying on more traditional assisted reproductive therapies (ART) such as IVF and IUI. Both scenarios can help women and couples build a family depending on the specific issues facing the individuals. Of the two options, IUI can be a more cost-effective solution. However, IVF is ideal when fertilization is more difficult to achieve in utero. Meanwhile, opting for donor eggs or sperm can still make conception possible if preventative measures weren’t taken before undergoing cancer treatments.
Taking control of fertility options
Cancer takes so much from the people receiving the diagnosis. However, fertility and the option to either start or grow a family doesn’t have to be one of the items at risk. Preventative measures can make it possible for a cancer survivor to still have children after reaching remission. Meanwhile, solutions like IUI and IVF, along with supportive solutions like ICSI or even GIFT, ZIFT, and assisted hatching, can all bring the dream of welcoming a new bundle of joy into a cancer survivor’s life.
