Fertility preservation and fulfillment of parenthood after treatment of hematological malignancies: results from the 'Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors' (ABC) study.
Abstract
Treatment of hematological malignancies carries the risk of lasting sterility. We aimed to identify fertility-related unmet needs. The 'Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors' study is a cohort study of hematological patients who were in treatment-free remission for ≥ 3 years or stable under continuous oral medication. Female patients age 18-45 years and male patients age 18-65 years without a history of pre-treatment infertility were asked to answer a structured questionnaire including questions addressing fertility issues. Multivariable analyses were performed to detect risk factors. Of 1562 study participants, 1031 met the inclusion criteria for the fertility sub-study. A high proportion of patients (72.4%) received information about the risk of losing fertility, but only a minority (15%) took steps to preserve it. Female and older patients were less likely to be informed. A post-treatment wish for parenthood was expressed by 19.3% of patients. It was strongly associated with childlessness at time of diagnosis and could be fulfilled by 29.4%. Fulfillment of desired parenthood increased with increasing time from diagnosis and was low after allogeneic transplantation. Female and older hematological patients are less likely to be ...Continue Reading
References
Fertility perspectives and priorities among male adolescents and young adults in cancer survivorship
Citations
Outcomes and Challenges of Reproductive Health in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Survivors.
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