Fertility Preservation in Adolescent Males

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Pediatric Health

Background:

• Childhood cancer survival rates exceed 80%, increasing focus on long-term survivorship.
• Fertility loss is a significant late effect of cancer therapies.
• International guidelines recommend sperm cryopreservation for post-pubertal males before cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a national sperm cryopreservation program for adolescent males.
• To evaluate the outcomes of a pilot fertility preservation service.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of patient demographics and semen parameters for adolescent male oncology patients.
• Sperm analysis conducted according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

Main Results:

• Fifteen patients were referred; 12 (80%) attempted sperm production.
• Three of 12 (25%) samples were unsuitable for cryopreservation.
• Eight patients (age 12-17) successfully cryopreserved sperm; 25% met WHO normal limits, 50% had reduced concentration.

Conclusions:

• A structured national fertility preservation service for adolescent males in Ireland has been successfully established.
• Sperm cryopreservation is an accessible method to safeguard fertility in male cancer patients.
• This service should be universally offered to male patients undergoing cancer treatment.