World J Mens Health.  2019 May;37(2):219-225. 10.5534/wjmh.180061.

Long-Term Experience of Sperm Cryopreservation in Cancer Patients in a Single Fertility Center

• Song SH
• Kim DK
• Sung SY
• Her YS
• Lee OH
• Choi MH
• Kim HK
• Lyu SW
• Kim DS

• KMID: 2443237
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.180061

Abstract

PURPOSE
Sperm cryopreservation before cancer treatment is the most effective method to preserve the fertility of male patients. We present our 21 years experience with sperm cryopreservation for cancer patients, including an examination of semen quality, the current status of cryopreserved sperm, and the rate of sperm use for assisted reproductive technology (ART).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 721 cancer patients at Fertility Center of CHA Gangnam Medical Center successfully performed sperm cryopreservation for fertility preservation from January 1996 to December 2016. Medical chart review was used to analyze patient age, marital status, cancer type, semen volume, sperm counts and motility, length of storage, and current banking status.
RESULTS
The major cancers of the 721 patients were leukemia (28.4%), lymphoma (18.3%), testis cancer (10.0%). The mean age at cryopreservation was 27.0 years, and 111 patients (15.4%) performed sperm cryopreservation during or after cancer treatment. The mean sperm concentration was 66.7±66.3 ×106/mL and the mean sperm motility was 33.8%±16.3%. During median follow-up duration of 75 months (range, 1-226 months), 44 patients (6.1%) used their banked sperm at our fertility center for ART and 9 patients (1.2%) transferred their banked sperm to another center. The median duration from cryopreservation to use was 51 months (range, 1-158 months).
CONCLUSIONS
Sperm cryopreservation before gonadotoxic treatment is the most reliable method to preserve the fertility of male cancer patients. Sperm cryopreservation should be offered as a standard of care for all men planning cancer therapy.

Keyword

Cryopreservation; Fertility; Neoplasms; Semen preservation

MeSH Terms

Cryopreservation*
Fertility Preservation
Fertility*
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Male
Marital Status
Methods
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
Semen
Semen Analysis
Semen Preservation
Sperm Count
Sperm Motility
Spermatozoa*
Standard of Care
Testicular Neoplasms

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Current status of cryopreserved sperm in 721 patients with malignancy (at October 2017).

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