Rationale for sperm banking in men with cancer

ABSTRACT

As treatment for malignant and nonmalignant diseases increases survival, the ability to preserve spermatozoa for long periods of time by low-temperature freezing has opened the possibility of preserving fertility in men who would otherwise be made subfertile or sterile by various treatments and disease processes. Mechanisms of reduction in sperm number or function may include surgery, irradiation, chemotherapy, or the disease process itself. Sperm banking technique is discussed, and recent data are presented on sperm cryopreservation from men with various diseases who were seen at the Cleveland Clinic. Sperm banking remains a promising technique for restoring fertility in some men with cancer.