Preserve fertility in cancer patients
https://lifeofhealths.blogspot.com/2015/11/preserve-fertility-in-cancer-patients.html
Both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which are the standard treatment of oncological diseases are characterized by the severity of adverse effects. And in the case of children, adolescents and young people it is one that can lead to infertility or even permanent sterility of the patient.
But it is usual that when they received the diagnosis even this possibility arise, to the emotional weight that comes with knowing you have cancer. And yet, today are increasingly patients who survive this disease and it is essential to consider the consequences that the treatment will have on your life and, in particular, opportunities to meet the wishes of parenthood .
Today you can assess the risk of infertility involving different drugs (some more than others) used for cancer treatment and radiotherapy, with which is very high. The surgery, while not affecting the genital tract anatomy need not compromise the future reproductive capacity of the patient. And this has led to oncologists own take on the challenge of preserving fertility of the patient before beginning treatment according to the different media and techniques that medicine currently offers.
Preserve fertility in cancer patients
In this context, specialists in reproductive medicine can play an important role in covering various fields. First, conducting a study of fertility patient, because we must not forget that 15% of the healthy population has some degree of infertility. And then offering different options, yes, always taking into account the type of cancer treatment that the patient will receive. Of course, the fertility study should be done in all cancer patients one year after the end of treatment and free of disease.
Usually, the simplest is to recommend freezing the semen in the case of men or vitrification of oocytes in women. But this is not always the best solution when it comes to pediatric patients is not an option.
The problem becomes even more of what can be considered a priori complexity. In the case of men, for example, semen can be kept frozen up to 25 years, but not everyone can provide a viable sample, since some is his own illness that prevents them ejaculate normally, so it needs to be removed by electroejaculation technique.
Moreover, sometimes, the need to immediately start cancer treatment can not put it off long enough to perform clinical procedures required to preserve fertility, as with egg retrieval in the case of women, for which it is required to undergo treatment ovarian hyperstimulation which may require two to three weeks.
In this case there is the option of extracting the ovarian tissue and reimplantation criopreservarlo to once the disease has been exceeded. It has also done this with the uterus itself, but the fact is that both procedures are currently still experimental and only feasible if the cancer does not affect any of these organs.
However, cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is the only option for girls who have not reached puberty can maintain fertility once the disease. In the case of prepubertal children, at the moment there is no chance to preserve fertility, although at present the possibility of using stem cells extracted from testicular tissue is investigated once matured in the laboratory, they can be used to develop an in vitro fertilization. But so far there have been no positive results.
There is another issue that has not yet been able to answer on the extraction and cryopreservation of tissues before being replanted, as is the possibility that this maneuver may reintroduce cancer in the body.
But it is usual that when they received the diagnosis even this possibility arise, to the emotional weight that comes with knowing you have cancer. And yet, today are increasingly patients who survive this disease and it is essential to consider the consequences that the treatment will have on your life and, in particular, opportunities to meet the wishes of parenthood .
Today you can assess the risk of infertility involving different drugs (some more than others) used for cancer treatment and radiotherapy, with which is very high. The surgery, while not affecting the genital tract anatomy need not compromise the future reproductive capacity of the patient. And this has led to oncologists own take on the challenge of preserving fertility of the patient before beginning treatment according to the different media and techniques that medicine currently offers.
Preserve fertility in cancer patients
In this context, specialists in reproductive medicine can play an important role in covering various fields. First, conducting a study of fertility patient, because we must not forget that 15% of the healthy population has some degree of infertility. And then offering different options, yes, always taking into account the type of cancer treatment that the patient will receive. Of course, the fertility study should be done in all cancer patients one year after the end of treatment and free of disease.
Usually, the simplest is to recommend freezing the semen in the case of men or vitrification of oocytes in women. But this is not always the best solution when it comes to pediatric patients is not an option.
The problem becomes even more of what can be considered a priori complexity. In the case of men, for example, semen can be kept frozen up to 25 years, but not everyone can provide a viable sample, since some is his own illness that prevents them ejaculate normally, so it needs to be removed by electroejaculation technique.
Moreover, sometimes, the need to immediately start cancer treatment can not put it off long enough to perform clinical procedures required to preserve fertility, as with egg retrieval in the case of women, for which it is required to undergo treatment ovarian hyperstimulation which may require two to three weeks.
In this case there is the option of extracting the ovarian tissue and reimplantation criopreservarlo to once the disease has been exceeded. It has also done this with the uterus itself, but the fact is that both procedures are currently still experimental and only feasible if the cancer does not affect any of these organs.
However, cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is the only option for girls who have not reached puberty can maintain fertility once the disease. In the case of prepubertal children, at the moment there is no chance to preserve fertility, although at present the possibility of using stem cells extracted from testicular tissue is investigated once matured in the laboratory, they can be used to develop an in vitro fertilization. But so far there have been no positive results.
There is another issue that has not yet been able to answer on the extraction and cryopreservation of tissues before being replanted, as is the possibility that this maneuver may reintroduce cancer in the body.
