For men facing cancer treatment, the risk of infertility is a major concern that is often overlooked. While fertility preservation options exist, studies consistently show that a significant proportion of patients are not adequately informed or offered these choices by their healthcare providers before undergoing potentially sterilizing cancer treatments.
The main barriers to men being aware of fertility preservation include limited knowledge and training among providers, discomfort discussing the sensitive topic, low referral rates to reproductive specialists, logistical challenges, time constraints before treatment initiation, perceptions about appropriateness based on prognosis, and patient-related factors like lack of awareness and financial concerns.
It is crucial for men to understand their options for preserving fertility, which include:
Sperm Cryopreservation (Sperm Banking)
This standard and most effective method involves collecting and freezing sperm samples before treatment for future use through assisted reproductive techniques like intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). It is well-established and successful for post-pubertal males.
Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation
An experimental approach where testicular tissue is removed and frozen before cancer treatment. The frozen tissue may potentially be used later to extract sperm stem cells for reimplantation or to induce in vitro spermatogenesis. However, no live births from this method have been reported in humans yet.
Gonadal Shielding
Protecting the testicles from radiation damage by using lead shields during radiotherapy. Its effectiveness is limited by patient anatomy and radiation field requirements.
Sperm Retrieval
For males who cannot produce a semen sample, sperm can be surgically retrieved from the testicles or epididymis through techniques like testicular sperm extraction (TESE) or percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA). Retrieved sperm can then be used for IVF/ICSI. This invasive option is appropriate when a male cannot produce a semen sample due to conditions like anejaculation, obstructive azoospermia, or prior to puberty.
While sperm cryopreservation is the most established and successful fertility preservation method, sperm retrieval combined with IVF/ICSI can be an option when cryopreserved sperm is unavailable or inadequate. However, IVF/ICSI is more invasive, costly, and has lower success rates compared to using cryopreserved sperm for insemination.
Overcoming barriers to awareness and utilization of fertility preservation options requires improved education and adherence to clinical guidelines from organizations like the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Establishing formal fertility preservation programs with multidisciplinary teams, patient navigators, and educational initiatives can help ensure that men with cancer have the opportunity to make informed decisions about preserving their fertility before undergoing cancer treatments.
For questions, please contact Mark Perloe at mperloe@outlook.com
Are you ready to get the inside scoop on clinical trials? Get ready to delve deep with former clinical trial nurse coordinator Marni Tierno. We know it can be a complex and overwhelming topic, but don’t worry – we’re here to break it down in a way that’s easy to understand.
Also featuring the vast professional experience of Wendy Garvin Mayo, we’ll tackle the myths and misconceptions that often surround clinical trials, giving you the facts and insights you need to make informed decisions.
Whether you’re a patient, carepartner, or simply curious about clinical trials, this webinar is for you! Our aim is to empower you with a deep understanding, allowing you to make the best choices for yourself or your loved ones.
Some of the topics we will cover include:
Description of the types and phases of clinical trials
Examples of pivotal clinical trials that have changed how we treat cancer
What to expect when participating in a clinical trial (including potential risks and benefits)
Addressing common questions about clinical trial participation
and more!
Watch here: (closed captioning is provided for this webinar, click the CC button at the bottom next to the gear.)
To view the slides from this webinar, please click here.
Additional Resources
Written, Narrated and Produced by AnCan’s own Pancreas Cancer Moderator, Laurie Singer for Johns Hopkins:
Special thanks to Bayer, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Foundation Medicine, Myriad Genetics, Telix, and Blue Earth Diagnostics for sponsoring this webinar.
And very special thanks to Illumina and Collaborative Cancer Care for letting us have two of their absolute best people present for us!
.
To SIGN UP for any of our Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
AnCan takes a holistic approach to your physical and mental health. AnCan also recognizes that a healthy mouth contributes to a stress free life… and all too often your condition, or the meds you take for it, can disrupt dental health. Some of our groups speak frequently about dry mouth (xerostomia), loss of taste (ageusia) and ONJ … osteonecrosis of the jaw.
When, Dr. Bob Gurmankin DMD, a recently retired dentist living with advanced prostate cancer, noticed the frequency with which these dental topics came up in his group, he suggested a two-step support program – 1) a handout on our website, and 2) a dental health webinar in 2024… watch out for this int he New Year.
One handout alone was not going serve all needs so Dr. Bob graciously prepared THREE to kick start our effort to help you maintain a healthy mouth.
Please download whatever is appropriate and spread the word to others who you think may benefit. Dr. Bob Gurmankin can be reached at dr.bob@rickd13.sg-host.com ; if you have questions he has kindly agreed to assist… THANK YOU DR. BOB!!!
Please participate in our Groups where you’ll find more support… onward & upwards.
This could be scary…It’s almost open enrollment season for Medicare!
A dreaded time to receive multiple communications in untold ways that often read like a foreign language. It’s only fitting that we talked about it the day before Halloween.
Join AnCan as we bring experts Amanda Goodstadt, Esq. from Triage Cancer, and Medicare Insurance Broker Kim Umphres to explain all things confusing around 2024 Medicare insurance options, and make this enrollment season a little less spooky and intimidating.
Our panel will explain the whole menu from alphabet soup plans to doughnut holes! Learn the difference between Traditional and Advantage plans and if you can switch between them, what HMOs and PPOs mean, how to sign up to see any doctor anywhere and much more.
Click here for a special handout from Triage Cancer with Medicare resources.
Special thanks to Bayer, Pfizer, Myovant Sciences, Foundation Medicine, Myriad Genetics, Janssen – Johnson & Johnson, Telix, and Blue Earth Diagnostics for sponsoring this webinar.
To SIGN UP for any of our Virtual Support groups, visit our Contact Us page.
Last month’s Under 60 Stage 3 & 4 Prostate Cancer meeting was small, intimate and produced a true gem from Down Under to benefit all AnCan’rs …
For the life of me, I forget what raised the topic … maybe a Death with Dignity discussion – but Aussie AnCan’r, Steve Cavill told us about the ICE “In Case of Emergency” Checklist Document that he and his wife Leonie, who occasionally attends our Care Partners Group, have both completed. Steve and Leonie reside in the suburbs of Melbourne and are currently heading towards mid-Winter.
This ICE Checklist takes much, if not all, the difficulty out of placing your key information in one place. Like your vital passwords to your laptop, phone or bank accounts; names of key individuals in your life and more. You know .. all that information making it possible for someone to piece your life together if you’re suddenly no longer with us.
Frankly it’s information we should all compile no matter how old. With this checklist guide at hand to march us through it, there can be few excuses. Just remember, this version of the ICE checklist was created in Oz, so it may not be fully applicable Stateside. If one of our US volunteers has time to ‘Americanize’ it, I feel sure it will be greatly appreciated – we have very few solicitors in the US and a few too many attorneys!
Here’s the checklist document in Word format ICE Document Template Now do your part …. and a BIG THANK YOU, Steve Cavill!!
. 
AnCan takes a holistic approach to your physical and mental health. AnCan also recognizes that a healthy mouth contributes to a stress free life… and all too often your condition, or the meds you take for it, can disrupt dental health. Some of our groups speak frequently about dry mouth (xerostomia), loss of taste (ageusia) and ONJ … osteonecrosis of the jaw.
