Male Fertility Preservation: A ray of Hope
With an overall increase in the field of cancers, cancer detection in young male adults is not uncommon. Being told that you have cancer can be upsetting – emotionally and psychologically, especially if you may have a desire to start a family, and have a biological child. Common treatments for cancer like chemotherapy, radiation and surgery can affect your sperm production and thus impact a man’s chance of fertility either temporarily or permanently. Other factors like age, location and the type of cancer may also affect your ability to become a father.
However, it is still possible to father a baby with successful options available for male cancer patients who want to preserve their fertility. Before you start your cancer treatment, talk to your doctor about the impact it would have on your fertility, and your options for preserving it. Such patients should receive proper counselling and hence may wish to speak to a fertility expert to explore options that might be right for them.
There are a number of options available for male fertility preservation:
- Sperm Banking:
This is one of the most successful and least expensive choices for men. It is the best pre-treatment for future fertility. The purpose of sperm banking is to keep the sperms frozen until you need them later, to ensure the possibility of fathering a child in the future.
Semen collection, freezing and storing facility is available at Gynaecworld. Private rooms are provided to make sure the patient is completely comfortable and relaxed. Semen is collected via masturbation in a wide mouthed sterile container provided by the Centre. The container is properly labelled with the patient’s name and other necessary details. Those who are unable to collect the sample should inform the doctor. Assistance through medication, audio visuals, vibrator or magazines could be provided. In case of retrograde ejaculation (seen in men with Diabetes or who have undergone surgery for testicular cancer), sperms are seen in the urine sample. These sperms can be retrieved in the laboratory from the urine. You will probably be asked to give a couple of samples because your sperm might not be of good quality due to the cancer.
- Sperm extraction:
If a man has limited or no sperms in his semen, it is possible that he may still have some sperms in his testicles. With the help of sperm removal techniques like Microsurgical Testicular Extraction (microTESE) or Microsurgical Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (MESA), the doctor removes small pieces of testicular tissue. The tissue is then checked for any sperms, which if found are frozen, and stored for use at a later desired time.
Questions to ask your doctor:
- How much time do I have before I start my cancer treatment?
- What are the risks of infertility with my treatment plan?
- What can I do to preserve my fertility?
- Will the available choices to preserve my fertility impact my cancer treatment?
- How long should I wait after my cancer treatment before I start a family?
If you desire to start a family after remission from cancer, be sure to talk to your doctor about it before starting your cancer treatment. We, at Gynaecworld are happy to provide you with all the information you may require, and counsel you about your fertility preservation options.
Book your appointment today at Gynaecworld, Kemps corner, Mumbai
Call: 02223802584
Email: gynaecworldfertility@gmail.com gynaecworldservices@gmail.com
Visit our website: www.gynaecworld.com