[Hematologist practices and attitude toward chemotherapy-related infertility]

High-dose chemotherapy using alkylating agents to treat leukemia and other malignancies can result in germ cell injury and infertility. The objective of this study was to investigate hematological practices and attitude towards chemotherapy-related infertility. In 2005,a nationwide,self-administered mail survey was conducted involving 500 hematologists selected randomly from the member list of the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. Of the surveyed hematologists, 144 responded at a response rate of 31.5%. Fifty-four (37.5%) of them always informed patients about the probability of contracting chemotherapy-related infertility before the treatment. Eighty-seven respondents (60.4%) stated that they might occasionally provide information depending on factors such as gender and severity of the disease. Information frequently given to patients included cryopreservation of sperm (87.5%), impact of chemotherapy on gonad functions (86.1%), and the likelihood and safety of having a baby after the cancer treatment (75.0%). Barriers to providing infertility-related information included short consultation time before the treatment, and lack of resources and information on fertility preservation. Hematologists should address the possibility of infertility with all patients who are in their reproductive years and discuss the availability of fertility preservation methods,while obtaining their consent for treatment. Furthermore, resources related to cancer treatment and fertility are urgently needed to enhance communication between patients and hematologists.