Currently, any male cancer patient who has gone through puberty should undergo evaluation and have at least one semen sample cryopreserved as long as there is any chance that he may desire children in the future. The authors add that the risks of the ICSI procedure appear to be minimal and that it does not increase the risk of congenital malformations among children conceived in this way. Nevertheless, they recommend caution because a recent study has shown a fivefold increase in a congenital defect in the urethra among males conceived through in vitro fertilization. Evidence suggests that oncologists are most likely to recommend cryopreservation to male patients with certain lymphomas or testicular cancers, because these cancers are associated with relatively good prognoses. Infertility from impaired sperm and impaired sexual function have been proven to be major long term side effects of treatment for patients with these cancers.
Many patients fail to think of long term issues at the time of pretherapy counseling.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., exceeded only by heart disease. One of every 4 deaths is cancer-related. The American Cancer Society estimates that approximately 8.2 million Americans alive today have a history of cancer. It has been estimated that nearly 1,221,800 new cancer cases will be diagnosed and approximately 563,100 Americans will die of cancer in 1999-more than 1,500 people a day. Last updated December 13, 1999.