Recently intensified chemotherapy for high-grade osteosarcoma may affect fertility in long-term male survivors

To investigate the marital status and fertility in long-term survivors of high-grade osteosarcoma.

We surveyed the marital rate (number of married persons/total number of persons) in 46 long-term survivors of osteosarcoma who were treated in our hospital between 1976 and 2002. In addition, we examined the fertility rate (number of persons having offspring/number of married persons) in 29 married patients. The participants were divided into 2 groups: one group (MC) in which moderate-dose chemotherapy was performed between 1976 and 1986; and another group (IC) in which intensive-dose chemotherapy was performed between 1987 and 2002. In each group, the fertility rate was investigated. As controls, we surveyed the marital and fertility rates in 52 siblings of the patients.

In the patients, the marital rate was 63.0% (29/46). There was no significant difference in the marital rate between the patients and their siblings. In the patients, the overall fertility rate was 58.6% (17/29). The fertility rate of male patients in the IC group (16.7%, 1/6) was significantly lower than that of their male siblings (76.5%, 13/17) (p = 0.018).

These results suggest that recently intensified chemotherapy for osteosarcoma affects fertility in long-term male survivors.