Fears over 'damaged' sperm samples

A faulty freezer could have cost hundreds of cancer sufferers the chance to have children later in life, it has emerged.
An Edinburgh hospital has warned that sperm samples taken from almost 300 patients may have been damaged.
The samples were banked at the Western General Hospital because of the risk that the men's treatment could lead to infertility.
However, a technical problem with a liquid nitrogen supply to a freezer at the hospital was discovered last year after the temperature had risen above recommended levels.

" This will be extremely upsetting for people who are already coming to terms with the anxiety of having treatment for cancer " Helen Torr Child spokeswoman

Approximately 5,000 ampoules of sperm samples provided by 296 men before 6 July last year had been in storage. The patients had given samples prior to treatment for testicular cancer, leukaemia, lymphoma or pituitary gland failure.
There is thought to be a slight risk that the genetic content of the samples may have been damaged due to the fault with the freezer.
Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust said expert advice about the effects of the temperature rise were inconclusive.
However, a spokeswoman admitted there was "a risk that the integrity of the stored sperm could have been compromised".

Potential consequences
The trust said the use of frozen sperm samples from cancer patients was a relatively new science, which meant that there was not enough research evidence to accurately predict the potential consequences for pregnancy.
However, Helen Torr, a spokeswoman for fertility support group Child, said the situation could be potentially devastating for couples.
"There is a real danger that if these patients' sperm has been damaged or 'compromised' as they say, their chance of having a child either now or in later life will have been lost.
"This will be extremely upsetting for people who are already coming to terms with the anxiety of having treatment for cancer.