The importance of fertility preservation in cancer patients

The potential risks of anti-cancer therapy for male and female fertility are well understood, yet evidence suggests that fewer patients than predicted actually preserve their fertility before therapy begins. Studies of post-pubertal males and females suggest that the approach of health professionals in oncology is vital in facilitating successful sperm and egg banking. For men, this seems to be compounded by a general lack of understanding about their personal risk of infertility. Those involved in delivering anticancer therapy therefore have a vital role to play in providing timely information and facilitating efficient referral to fertility services. In the future, this is likely to become more important if new fertility preservation strategies such as ovarian and testicular tissue banking become more routinely used, with implications for both pre- and post-pubertal individuals.