Background: As cancer therapy can be harmful to spermatogenesis, men are generally advised to cryopreserve sperm before gonadotoxic treatment. Here, we compared fresh and frozen-thawed sperm quality in patients according to cancer type, and reported use rate in subsequent assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles.
Methods: This retrospective analysis of a sperm cryopreservation program in all men suffering from cancer was conducted at the University Hospital of Nantes between 1997 and 2007.
Results: A total of 1042 men were referred for sperm cryopreservation during this period (438 testicular cancer, 184 other solid cancers, 278 lymphoma and 142 other haematological malignancies). A total of 2577 ejaculates from 1009 men were studied. Sperm characteristics and sperm sensitivity to the freezing process varied according to the cancer type. Frozen sperm was used in 82 patients, with 112 in vitro fertilization and 66 intrauterine insemination cycles performed, leading to a clinical pregnancy rate per cycle of 23.2 and 12%, respectively.
Conclusion: Sperm quality and motility alteration during the freezing process can differ according to the type of cancer, but sperm frozen before gonadotoxic treatment in cancer patients can be successfully used in ART.