What are the fertility preservation options for cancer patients?

Fertility preservation means saving or protecting eggs, sperm, embryos, or reproductive tissue for the future. According to the National Cancer Institute, the options differ for men and women.

For men, sperm banking (freezing sperm) is the most common method for those who have gone through puberty. Other options include testicular shielding during radiation, procedures that retrieve sperm directly (testicular sperm extraction and testicular sperm aspiration), and testicular tissue freezing, which is being studied for boys who have not gone through puberty.

For women, options include freezing eggs or embryos, gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa), ovarian shielding during radiation, ovarian tissue freezing, ovarian transposition (moving the ovaries away from radiation), and, for some early cervical cancers, a fertility-sparing surgery called radical trachelectomy.

Many of these are forms of assisted reproductive technology, and in vitro fertilization (IVF) is the most common type. The National Cancer Institute notes that the success rate, cost, and availability of these methods vary. A fertility specialist can explain which options fit your cancer, treatment timeline, and situation, and a social worker or patient navigator can help with insurance and cost.