Men with testicular cancer often become fathers
Posted on: Tuesday, 1 November 2005, 16:58 CST
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After treatment for testicular cancer, about 71 percent of men achieve fatherhood, new research indicates. However, the type of treatment has a strong impact on the paternity rate.
The findings, which appear in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, are based on a study of 554 long-term survivors of testicular cancer who attempted to become fathers following treatment.
Dr. Marianne Brydoy, from Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, and colleagues divided the subjects into groups based on the treatment they were given after surgery: surveillance, removal of lymph nodes, radiation, low-dose chemotherapy, and high-dose chemo.
As noted, the overall 15-year post-treatment paternity rate was 71 percent. The highest paternity rate, 92 percent, was in the surveillance group, while the lowest rate, 48 percent, was in the high-dose chemotherapy group.
The average time from diagnosis to the birth of the first child was 6.6 years, but once again the specific time depended largely on the treatment received.
Overall, 22 percent of couples who attempted conception after treatment used some form of assisted reproductive technology. The researchers add, "With recent advances in assisted fertility techniques, more testicular cancer survivors may be helped to father children."
They say their data should help doctors in counseling "new or prior testicular cancer patients for whom fertility is of major concern."
However, the team advises that it is impossible to predict with complete certainly which men will be fertile following treatment, so pretreatment sperm preservation should be offered to all patients.
SOURCE: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, November 2, 2005.
Source: REUTERS
Related Articles
- Radiation Breakthrough Gives Breast Cancer Patients Hope in Single Dose
- Data: Actual Imaging Use Far Below 95 Percent Utilization Rate For Medicare
- Interim Phase 2 Results of Open-Label Clinical Trial of Denosumab in Giant Cell Tumor of Bone Demonstrated 87 Percent Response Rate
- Divigel(R) (Estradiol Gel) 0.1 Percent Offers Lowest Approved Dose of Estradiol for Treatment of Moderate to Severe Hot Flashes Associated With Menopause
- San Diego Eating Disorder Program With 75 Percent Remission Rate Being Promoted in Mexico By Swedish Trade Council
- Death Rate Higher for Male Breast Cancer Than Testicular and Prostate Cancers Combined
- City Hopes Loans Will Speed Storm Water Projects: Officials Want 1 Percent Interest Rate on Funds
- St. Jude Projects 90 Percent Cure Rate for ALL
- Economy Grows at a 4 Percent Annual Rate
- Economy Grows at 3.3 Percent Annual Rate
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds