Preservation of reproductive potential in cancer patients: current methods, practical and future aspects

Purpose: Treatment of oncological diseases with chemotherapy or radiation therapy in men often leads to a reduction in sperm counts to azoospermic levels that may remain for several years or permanently. The duration of the decline in sperm count can be predicted by germ cell sensitivity, with spermatogonial differentiation and sperm maturation being most vulnerable to fertilization. Design: Seeding fluid was performed in 22 cancer patients prior to initiation of treatment. Samples were obtained by masturbation in the laboratory at sexual abstinence 3 ± 1 days. The basic condition is: to do this in the first days of the patient's study before chemotherapy and / or radiotherapy. We analyzed 2 samples per patient, frozen them, keeping the sample with a better CRI. Patients: Twenty-two men of reproductive age diagnosed with cancer. Material and Methods: We compared the parameters of samples of post-frozen sperm in two ways: conventional cryoprotector freezing (glycerol) and vitrification method (without glycerol) in terms of sperm count, mobility, morphology and their functional status. Results: Results show that for sperm storage, vitrification is a better and more reliable method than the conventional cryopreservation method. Discussion and conclusions: Stress management involves both the choice of a freezing (vitrification) method before treatment of the disease and the freezing temperature of the frozen sample. To preserve fertility, choosing the time for cryopreservation is also important. A Sperm Bank for Cancer Patients is set up to provide genetic material in perspective. Key words: Sperm vitrification, conventional (slow) freezing, oncology, stress management.