A cancer diagnosis upends life as we know it. While all the rage is focused on fighting the disease, people still have to ponder another heavy weight: the loss of their ability to form a family. This is why fertility preservation before cancer is such an urgent topic when discussing cancer therapy. For those who are already fighting off a life-threatening illness, the hope of one day being a parent is highly relevant.
Why Fertility Preservation Is Worth Discussing
Chemo, radiotherapy, and specific types of surgery can really mess up or nearly destroy reproductive organs or cells. For women, this trauma often leads to premature menopause. A man’s production of normal sperm is generally damaged. These results are nearly always irreversible without specific treatment. In contrast, contemporary reproduction technology offers patients a means to maintain fertility before starting cancer therapy.
Egg Freezing Before Chemotherapy
One of the earliest established ways for women to preserve their fertility is by oocyte cryopreservation ahead of chemotherapy. In this procedure, known scientifically as oocyte cryopreservation and carried out before cancer treatment starts, the ovaries are induced to release multiple eggs, which are then retrieved and frozen at ultra-low temperatures. Stored for years on end, such eggs may present women undergoing therapy with a new chance to conceive. Particularly for younger women who want children but have not yet had any, this technique is invaluable. With vitrification, a “fast-freezing” technology, breakthroughs have also made egg preservation and storage more reliable than ever before.
Cryo-Preservation of Sperm before Cancer Therapy
For men, sperm banking before cancer therapy is still the easiest and best approach. The collected sample is treated and stored cryogenically, allowing it to be used in future IVF attempts or directly in the womb. Even a single preserved sample is usually sufficient for several attempts at fatherhood.
For patients faced with oncology treatment, this option is suitable for adolescent and adult men equally. Fertility experts prefer to use noninvasive methods in their treatment regimens, although they may suggest alternative strategies as well. Recommendations differ by the age of the patient, his overall condition, and the urgency of therapy. Egg banking can also offer a future for families.
Other Early Options
- Ovarian tissue cryopreservation: A piece of ovarian tissue is surgically removed for freezing and then possibly re-implanted after treatment.
- Ovarian suppression: Hormonal injections will temporarily pause ovarian activity during chemotherapy, though this method’s reliability is limited compared with egg freezing.
These methods generally come into the picture when conventional therapies are not an option or there is only a short time before starting treatment.
Timing is Everything
The period between diagnosis and the actual therapy may be small, yet even a short interval can be used to secure fertility options. Egg retrieval can often be accomplished within weeks, while sperm collection might take only days. By working with fertility experts in concert with oncologists early in the course of disease, preservation techniques can be incorporated smoothly on a medical timetable.
We help patients and their families connect with trustworthy clinics and reproductive experts around the world. From setting up egg or ovarian tissue preservation to planning sperm banking before chemotherapy, our goal is to be there for people – to help them protect their ability to build families later on. It’s something they might not otherwise have had the chance to preserve.
How to preserve fertility before chemotherapy?
Commonly recommended methods are egg or embryo freezing for women, and sperm banking for men. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation could also be an option when time is pressing.
How do you save sperm before chemotherapy?
Because chemotherapy can permanently damage ovarian function, freezing eggs helps ensure the possibility of later conception even after treatment has concluded.
Why do people freeze their eggs before chemo?
Sperm procured is cryopreserved in special banks where it can continue to find use as part of future assisted reproductive techniques.
How much does it cost to freeze your eggs before chemo?
Prices are all over the shop depending on which clinic you choose and for how long it has been in storage, yet this method is consistently viewed as a crucial investment by women seeking their own future family.
