Cancer Treatment and Infertility

Some treatments for cancer can cause Reference infertility Opens New Window in both men and women. Also, cancer treatment in children may affect their future fertility. Infertility from cancer treatment may be temporary or permanent.

Whether or not your cancer treatment will affect your fertility depends on many things, such as how many Reference radiation Opens New Window treatments you get or the type of Reference chemotherapy Opens New Window you have.

Before you begin your cancer treatment, talk to your doctor to find out if your fertility could be affected. Your doctor may refer you to a Reference fertility specialist Opens New Window. If preserving fertility is a concern for you, knowing your options can help you know what to decide.

Men

Options to help preserve fertility in men may include:

• Banking sperm (freezing and storing sperm for use in the future) before having any cancer treatment.
• Having the testicles shielded during radiation therapy.

During treatment, use Reference birth control Opens New Window. Radiation to the testicles and some chemotherapy can damage sperm and cause birth defects. If you are having chemotherapy, you need to use a condom during sex because your semen may contain chemotherapy medicines. Also, your partner may need to use birth control.

After treatment, it may take some time to find out if you are fertile. If you have very low sperm counts or if treatment has caused problems with ejaculation, you still may be able to father a child using Reference assisted reproductive technologies Opens New Window.

Women

Options to help preserve fertility in women may include:

• Embryo banking (freezing and storing embryos for use in the future) before having any cancer treatment.
• Having the ovaries shielded during radiation therapy.
• Having surgery to move the ovaries out of the radiation-affected area of the body.
• Banking eggs or ovarian tissue (this is still experimental).
• Protecting the egg supply in other ways, such as by shutting down the Reference pituitary Opens New Window gland.

During treatment, if you have not gone through menopause, you (or your partner) will need to use birth control. Getting pregnant during treatment should be avoided. Cancer treatments can harm a developing baby (fetus).

Children

If your child has cancer, talk to the doctor to find out whether treatment will affect your child's future fertility. This is important even for young children who have cancer. If treatment could affect your child's fertility, ask the doctor to recommend a Reference fertility specialist Opens New Window. This specialist can work with your child's medical team to try to preserve fertility.

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This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.