Fertility Preservation for Children Diagnosed with Cancer

Ask Your Doctor

Information for Patients

Many adult survivors of childhood cancer feel fertility preservation and the ability to have a future family are important.

Understanding there may be fertility preservation options available and having your child see a reproductive specialist in a timely manner can improve their future quality of life.

Introduction

You may not be aware there are options for preserving fertility in your child diagnosed with cancer.

  • You may be focused on cancer treatment and your child’s immediate health.
  • You may feel uncomfortable discussing issues of reproduction with your child.

Ask Your Doctor

Discussing fertility preservation is important. These key points can help start the conversation:

  • Cancer and cancer treatment may affect my child’s fertility.
  • Will my child’s cancer or cancer treatment affect his/her fertility?
  • What are the options to try to preserve my child’s fertility before he/she begins cancer treatment (see figure below).
  • Can you refer us to a fertility preservation specialist to discuss my child’s options further?

Fertility Preservation - Where Does It Fit?

Options for Fertility Preservation

  • The following diagram gives a brief description of fertility preservation options available to children diagnosed with cancer before and after treatment.
  • There are several resources listed on the reverse that can help you locate a fertility preservation specialist to discuss your child’s options.

a  Not an option if there is a high risk of ovarian metastases. Discuss with your doctor.
b Experimental—only performed as part of a clinical study approved by an IRB.

Resources

For more information about infertility risk and fertility preservation options for children diagnosed with cancer:

References