Is fertility loss from cancer treatment permanent?

Not always. According to the National Cancer Institute, cancer treatments may affect fertility by harming the reproductive organs and the endocrine glands that control fertility, and these changes may be temporary or permanent. Sometimes fertility returns after treatment; other times the change lasts.

Which happens depends on the specific treatment, the dose and length of treatment, your age, the type of cancer, and other personal factors. For example, some chemotherapy drugs carry a higher risk than others, and radiation to the reproductive organs or pelvis can have a lasting effect.

Because it is hard to predict for any one person, the National Cancer Institute suggests asking your doctor after treatment about the chances that people who have your treatment are fertile afterward and, if changes are temporary, how long fertility might take to return. Even when treatment lowers fertility, pregnancy can still be possible, so your team may advise using birth control for a time. Your care team is the best source of information about what your specific treatment may mean for your fertility.