Public fertility preservation programme for cancer patients in Hong Kong

Fertility preservation (FP) offers cancer patients the opportunity to have biological children after completing treatment. This study was performed to review the experience and changes in service demand since the implementation of a public FP programme for cancer patients in Hong Kong.

This retrospective study included men and women who attended an assisted reproduction unit for public FP services before cancer treatment from August 2020 to February 2023. Their medical records were reviewed and the results were compared with findings from our previous study to evaluate trends in service demand.

During the study period, there were 48 consultations for female FP, compared with 72 women who presented for FP from 2010 to 2020 prior to establishment of the public FP programme. The median time from referral to consultation was 3 days (interquartile range [IQR]=2-5). Eighteen women (37.5%) underwent 19 cycles of ovarian stimulation for oocyte or embryo cryopreservation. Thirty women (62.5%) received gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists during cancer treatment. There were 58 consultations for male FP during the study period, compared with 265 men who presented for sperm cryopreservation from 2005 to 2020. The median time from referral to consultation was 4 days (IQR=2-7). Fifty-five men (94.8%) attempted sperm cryopreservation, and 49 (84.5%) successfully preserved sperm.

Since the establishment of a public FP programme for cancer patients, there has been an increase in the demand for FP services at our centre. Regular review of FP services is warranted to assess changes in demand and identify areas for improvement.