Fertility preservation and the terminally ill patient: A case report with considerations for practice

To raise awareness of fertility preservation and counseling in palliative care and explore considerations for practice.

This case report describes the rapid decline and death of a 36-year-old man with astrocytoma. Despite early fertility discussions with the palliative care team, sudden clinical deterioration prevented semen collection prior to death. Following death, the spouse requested post-death sperm retrieval.

Post-death sperm retrieval and cryopreservation were successfully completed within the viability window. To achieve this, urgent interdisciplinary coordination across palliative care, emergency medicine, reproductive specialists, and hospital legal and executive teams was required.

The case highlights the importance of early and ongoing fertility counseling for patients of reproductive age in palliative care. It demonstrates that clear pathways and coordinated systems can enable post-death sperm retrieval when aligned with patient and partner wishes. The development of evidence-based policies, training, and patient resources may reduce barriers and support clinicians to conduct sensitive, informed fertility discussions.