Fatherhood after testicular cancer

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Testicular cancer and treatments for testicular cancer can affect hormone levels and paternity after treatment. Therefore, patients should be consulted with their doctor about possible effects before starting treatment so that patients are aware of the risks and make options for having children later.

1. Testicular cancer

Testicular cancer is a relatively rare cancer that occurs in the testicles, where testosterone is produced and sperm is stored. Testosterone plays a role in controlling the development of reproductive organs and other physical characteristics of men. Testicular cancer is much rarer than other cancers, but testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men in the United States between the ages of 15 and 35. Testicular cancer is likely. Treatment is highly successful, even when the cancer has spread beyond the testicle. Depending on the type and stage of testicular cancer, the patient will be treated with different methods.
Treatments for testicular cancer can reduce or eliminate a man's fertility. But that does not mean that after cancer treatment patients can not have their own children. Doctors use treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation to kill cancer and preserve fertility at the same time. However, the key to being able to have children after treatment is made before cancer treatment begins by storing the patient's sperm before treatment.

2. Why do testicular cancer treatments affect fertility?

Treatments for testicular cancer depend on several factors, including the type and stage of the cancer, your overall health, and your wishes.
2.1. Surgery Surgery is indicated in the following cases:
Orchiectomy is the mainstay of treatment for nearly all stages and types of testicular cancer. To remove the testicle, the surgeon makes an incision in the groin and removes the entire testicle through the opening. The doctor will then place a saline-filled prosthesis that can be placed into the scrotum. In the case of early stage testicular cancer, surgical removal of the testicle is the only treatment. Surgery to remove nearby lymph nodes is done through an incision in the abdomen. The surgeon will take care to avoid damaging the nerves surrounding the lymph nodes, but in some cases damage to the nerve may be unavoidable. Damaged nerves can make it difficult to ejaculate, but will affect an erection. 2.2 Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells. During radiation therapy, the patient lies on a table and a large machine moves around the body to aim energy beams at predetermined points on the patient's body. Radiation therapy may be given alone or given after the patient has had an orchiectomy. Side effects of radiation therapy include nausea and fatigue, as well as skin redness and irritation in the abdomen and groin area. Radiation therapy also has the potential to decrease sperm count and may affect fertility in some men, so it's important to consult your doctor about sperm preservation options before starting a procedure. radiotherapy head.
2.3 Chemotherapy Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the body to kill cancer cells that have spread from the original tumor. Chemotherapy is indicated alone for treatment or may be given before or after lymphadenectomy.
The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the specific drugs the patient is taking. Common side effects include fatigue, nausea, hair loss, and an increased risk of infection.
Chemotherapy can also lead to infertility in some men, which can be permanent in some cases, so patients should be thoroughly consulted by their doctor about sperm preservation options before start chemotherapy.

3. Sperm Bank

The staff at the sperm bank will harvest and then freeze the sperm at very low temperatures. When the time is right, the patient's wife will be artificially inseminated to conceive. For men under the age of 18, the doctor will have to discuss with the patient's parents before performing sperm storage.
A new study was recently carried out in Norway by following 11 years of paternity in more than 1,800 patients after treatment for testicular cancer. A total of 554 men said they had attempted fatherhood after cancer treatment, and more than two-thirds (68%) had become biological fathers without any assisted reproduction. However, there were 12 patients who used damaged sperm after cancer treatment.
Some other sick people became fathers through adoption or when their wives or girlfriends became pregnant by receiving donated sperm and assisted reproductive technology. However, this study has the limitation that it cannot monitor and evaluate fertility problems in the patient's wife or girlfriend.

4. Time to become a father after testicular cancer treatment

After 3 months of treatment, the patient can have children, however, the patient needs to have a sperm test, an ultrasound of the scrotum, a blood test to know the status of the remaining testicle, thereby predicting the possibility of having a baby. child. It is likely that the patient will be infertile after the treatment. However, after 1-2 years it is possible that the patient will have sperm in the semen. If after this time you still have azoospermia, microTESE can help find sperm in the testicles for in vitro fertilization.
If the patient has stored sperm before treatment, that sperm can be used for assisted reproduction at any time.
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Reference source: Webmd.com; Cancer.org and Mayoclinic.org