[Conservation of sperm before cancer therapy. An efficient measure for preserving chances of future conception]

In recent years, chemotherapy and radiations for cancer patients has become increasingly successful, and sustained remissions have been achieved. However, in young men, most of the current therapies still presently induce temporary or permanent sterility without any means of prediction. The present paper largely based on data accumulated over two decades at CECOS Paris-Bicêtre reassess the clinical role of semen cryopreservation from young men with cancer before chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Recent use of assisted reproduction technologies with pretherapy cryopreserved specimens (including semen of poor quality) has provided a growing number of pregnancies. These new data strongly reaffirm that semen cryopreservation should be offered to all men diagnosed with cancer since it presently provides the only reasonable chance of establishing a pregnancy after therapy.