Fertility Preservation in Individuals with Cancer
A Joint Position Statement from APHON, CANO/ACIO & ONS Temporary or permanent infertility is one of the most common and frequently under-discussed long-term effects of cancer-specific treatments (Olsen et al., 2023; Poorvu et al., 2019; Ussher et al., 2018; Wettergren et al., 2020). The risk of infertility depends on the type of cancer or condition, tumor stage and grade, age of the individual, and specific therapies administered. Certain systemic therapies, such as chemotherapy, radiation to the brain or pelvic region, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or surgery to the reproductive organs, may cause gonadal dysfunction. Fertility preservation refers to any procedure to bank or protect oocytes, sperm, or gonadal tissues from the gonadotoxic effects of chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy with the goal of preserving an individual’s ability to conceive a child once treatment is complete (American Cancer Society, 2020; Oktay et al., 2018). Fertility preservation procedures should be offered to individuals with cancer prior to initiating treatment that may damage or destroy their reproductive system.