Women get less information on post-cancer fertility: study

Cancer treatment can sometimes lead to infertility, but young women are far less likely than young men to be informed of this, according to a Swedish study.

Findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that of nearly 500 cancer survivors aged 18 to 45, 80 percent of men surveyed said their doctor had told them their chemotherapy could affect their future fertility.

But only 48 percent of women said the same. In addition, only 14 percent of women said they received information on options to preserve their fertility, versus 68 percent of men.

The gap is likely related to the fact that preserving fertility is more complicated in women than men and techniques for doing so are not as widely available, said the researchers.

"Even in cases when fertility preservation could not be performed, patients - and in particular, women - should be informed about their risk of decreased fertility and their risk of entering menopause prematurely," senior researcher Claudia Lampic, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, told Reuters Health in an email.

Some chemotherapy drugs can damage a woman's eggs or a man's ability to produce normal sperm. Radiation therapy near the reproductive organs, or to the brain, can harm fertility, as can hormonal therapies for breast, prostate and other cancers.

Many women of childbearing age who have been diagnosed with cancer think that preserving their fertility is important and want information about their options. However,

- Patients may not feel comfortable bringing up fertility issues.
- Patients may not be aware of their options for preserving fertility.
- Patients may be focused on their cancer diagnosis and unable to think about fertility or the possibility of having a future family.
- Women may later regret not considering fertility issues prior to starting cancer treatment.

Understanding that there are fertility preservation options available and referring at-risk patients to specialists can improve patients’ emotional outlook and future quality of life.

Even women with a poor prognosis may want to consider fertility preservation.

A recent U.S. survey of women diagnosed with cancer when they were 40 or younger found that more than half said they still wanted to have children at the time of their diagnosis.

"The options are out there, but the utility is still patchwork right now," Oktay said.

Men can have their sperm frozen and banked before cancer treatment, a relatively quick and simple process that is also comparatively inexpensive.

Starting the Conversation You may not be comfortable speaking with your patients about the risk of infertility related to their cancer or planned cancer treatment. These key points can help start the conversation: