Fertility Boost For Testicular Cancer Patients
19 July 2005 - The vast majority of men who try to have a family, following treatment for testicular cancer, are able to father children - according to a report published by Dr Robert Huddart’s team. The team studied nearly 700 patients who had been treated for testicular cancer between 1982 and 1992 and asked them to complete a questionnaire relating to fertility and general health.
Just over 200 men reported attempting conception and 159 of these (77 per cent) succeeded in becoming fathers. A further 10 patients fathered children after fertility treatment.
The study also found that patients treated with chemotherapy after surgery had an increased risk of infertility compared to those who had no follow-up treatment or had radiotherapy only. However, the rate of infertility was lower than had been expected.
Among the men attempting conception without fertility treatment, those who had had surgery but no further treatment had the highest rate of success (85 per cent); those who had radiotherapy achieved an 82 per cent success rate; those who had chemotherapy achieved a 71 per cent success rate and those who were given both chemotherapy and radiotherapy had a 67 per cent success rate.
Find out more about:
- Dr Robert Huddart
- Section of Academic Radiotherapy and Department of Radiotherapy
