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Liu X, Wang Q, Sheng H, Liang X, Wang Z, Meng T, Li Y, Dong H, Zhu W, Yang J, Zhang Z, Jiang X, Zhang A, Liang Z, He X, Song C, Li F, Zhang X. Fertility preservation in males with cancer of trends, region development, and efficacy in mainland China from 16 regions Chinese sperm banks. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024:10.1007/s10815-024-03121-w. [PMID: 38676843 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03121-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Male cancer survivors experience confusion about fertility following cancer treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate survivors' semen quality in different tumor type groups in China and to analyze the current situation and challenges of male cancer patients with sperm cryopreservation. METHODS This was a multicenter retrospective study of male patients with cancer who underwent sperm cryopreservation in 16 regions of the national sperm banks over an 11-year period from 2010 to 2020. RESULTS The number of male cancer patients with sperm cryopreservation showed an overall upward trend. The development of male cancer fertility preservation (FP) in the eastern, central, and western regions of Chinese displayed imbalance. There are seven tumor types for sperm preservation in the top incidence ten tumor types, including lymphoma, leukemia, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, sarcoma, thyroid cancer, and brain tumor. Moreover, nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a high incidence rate in China, which is related to high sperm preservation rate, different from other countries. The most percentage of males receiving sperm cryopreservation in the testicular cancers (15-39 years old) of China in 2020 was 5.55%, 1.29% in the lymphoma, and 0.39% in the leukemia. According to the type of cancer, a statistically significant lower pre-sperm density, total sperm output, and post-sperm density was observed in testicular cancers. It is worth noting that the prevalence of azoospermia 22.2% in leukemia patients attribute to urgent treatment before sperm cryopreservation. Disposition of cryopreserved sperm categories included continued storage (47.2%), discarded (9%), death (0.9%), and use (3.7%). CONCLUSION This study provides the first comprehensive national statistical census and review of fertility preservation in male cancer patients with respect to trends, prevalence, and cancer types. The development of male cancer fertility preservation in China is imbalanced and percentage of males receiving sperm cryopreservation in the adolescent and young adult cancers was low. Sixteen human sperm banks from China analyze current problems and challenges, and then prioritize steps toward the achievement of the FP strategy framework for Healthy China 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Liu
- Department of Andrology/Sichuan Human Sperm Bank, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiling Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics Guangdong Provincial Reproductive, Science Institute (Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital), Guangzhou, 510062, Guangdong, China
| | - Huiqiang Sheng
- Zhejiang Mater Child and Reproductive Health Center, Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaowei Liang
- Human Sperm Bank of National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, 100098, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Guilin, 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Tianqing Meng
- Hubei Province Human Sperm Bank, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430010, Hubei, China
| | - Yushan Li
- Henan Human Sperm Bank, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450014, Henan, China
| | - Hao Dong
- Department of Urological Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, China
| | - Wenbing Zhu
- Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Jigao Yang
- Chongqing Research Institute for Population and Family Planning Science and Technology, Human Sperm Bank, Chongqing, 401121, China
| | - Zhou Zhang
- Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xian, 610045, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xianglong Jiang
- Nanchang Reproductive Hospital, Nanchang, 330001, Jiangxi, China
| | - Aiping Zhang
- Human Sperm Bank of The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730099, Gansu, China
| | - Zuowen Liang
- The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Xiaojin He
- Anhui Provincial Human Sperm Bank, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, Anhui, China
| | - Chunying Song
- Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Sperm Bank, Taiyuan, 030001, Shanxi, China
| | - Fuping Li
- Department of Andrology/Sichuan Human Sperm Bank, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xinzong Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Male Reproduction and Genetics Guangdong Provincial Reproductive, Science Institute (Guangdong Provincial Fertility Hospital), Guangzhou, 510062, Guangdong, China.
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Santana-Plata A, Rivera-Egea R, Garrido N. Semen cryopreservation for an oncological reason: a retrospective study. Reprod Biomed Online 2024:103898. [PMID: 38744584 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.103898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION How do cancer type and treatment affect semen quality before and after treatment, and what effect does it have in their clinical management of infertility? Also, what is the rate of patients using cryopreserved semen samples after treatment? DESIGN Patients who cryopreserved spermatozoa for oncological reasons between 2000 and 2022 in IVI clinics in Spain were retrospectively reviewed. Semen parameters were analysed before and after treatment, and utilization and destruction rates were calculated. Total motile sperm count (TMSC) was used for assisted reproductive technology (ART) counselling. RESULTS A total of 724 patients cryopreserved their semen during the study period. The semen parameters of the cancer patients' semen before and after treatment were heterogeneous, with significant differences between cancer type and semen parameters. The utilization rate was relatively low (0.4%), whereas the destruction rate was 23.1%. CONCLUSION Cancer and antineoplastic treatment affect everyone differently. Therefore, sperm cryopreservation should be offered to all patients before starting treatment to ensure their reproductive future. Furthermore, in addition to considering the semen parameters defined by the World Health Organization, it is important to use TMSC in the diagnosis of men to choose appropriate ART according to type of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Santana-Plata
- IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, IVI Foundation, Health Research Institute La Fe, Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, n°106, Torre A, Planta 1ª, 46026, Valencia, Spain..
| | - Rocio Rivera-Egea
- IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Andrology Unit, IVIRMA Valencia, Plaza Policía Local, 3, 46015 Valencia, Spain
| | - Nicolás Garrido
- IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, IVI Foundation, Health Research Institute La Fe, Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, n°106, Torre A, Planta 1ª, 46026, Valencia, Spain
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Li Q, Lan QY, Zhu WB, Fan LQ, Huang C. Fertility preservation in adult male patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Open 2024; 2024:hoae006. [PMID: 38389980 PMCID: PMC10882264 DOI: 10.1093/hropen/hoae006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does sperm cryopreservation serve as a feasible and effective method for preserving fertility in adult male patients with cancer? SUMMARY ANSWER Sperm cryopreservation is an effective fertility preservation method and may benefit patients with cancer. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Sperm cryopreservation is the only way to efficiently preserve male fertility. It is an important procedure in ART. Recently, due to remarkable advances in cancer treatment, an increasing number of studies have reported the outcomes of sperm cryopreservation in patients with cancer. STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION We conducted an extensive literature search for relevant studies published through to 31 December 2021, in the following databases: CENTRAL, CNKI, Cochrane Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and Web of Science. The search terms used were '(cryopreservation OR freeze OR freezing OR banking OR cryostorage OR storage) AND (sperm OR semen OR spermatozoon) AND (cancer OR tumor OR malignancy OR neoplasm)'. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS We included all studies that reported offering or attempting to cryopreserve sperm before or during cancer treatment in male patients considered at risk of treatment-related fertility impairment. We evaluated the eligibility of all data in each study. The major exclusion criteria were as follows: non-cancer patients; pediatric and adolescent cancer patients; not reporting the use of cryopreserved sperm; use of fresh semen for ART; not reporting the number of patients with cancer offered sperm cryopreservation or attempting to do so before or during treatment; using an experimental fertility preservation technique such as preservation of testicular tissue or spermatogonial stem cells; duplicate data; abstracts, case report, comments, reviews, or editorials; insufficient data reported. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE This meta-analysis included 69 non-randomized studies, with 32 234 patients referred for sperm analysis and 23 178 patients cryopreserving at least one sperm sample. The pooled failed-to-cryopreserve rate was 10% (95% CI, 8-12%), and the sperm disposal and sperm use rates were 23% (95% CI, 16-30%) and 9% (95% CI, 8-10%), respectively. The pregnancy, miscarriage, and delivery rates were 28% (95% CI, 22-33%), 13% (95% CI, 10-17%), and 20% (95% CI, 15-25%), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed higher pregnancy and delivery rates, as well as a lower failed-to-cryopreserve rate, in recent studies compared to those released a decade ago. The studies from Asia reported higher sperm disposal and pregnancy rates than in other continents. Our analysis showed clinical pregnancy rates per cycle of 34% (27-41%), 24% (14-35%), and 9% (5-15%) and delivery rates per cycle of 23% (17-30%), 18% (11-26%), and 5% (1-9%) for ICSI, IVF, and IUI, respectively. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION As with all meta-analyses, some limitations should be considered. The first limitation of our study is that the data span 36 years. During this time, the World Health Organization has revised its sperm analysis standards, and other important changes have been made. There is also a limitation in that the outcome does not analyze the correlation between the type of cancer and sperm quality. Many of the earlier studies were limited by small sample sizes and a lack of control groups. Furthermore, almost all studies did not consider the severity of the disease, which could potentially have a substantial impact on the results. Consequently, further research should evaluate the effect of the type of cancer and, in particular, the severity of the condition on sperm quality in order to draw more precise conclusions. Similarly, it is inappropriate that most studies failed to differentiate between patients with different types of tumors and instead drew generalized conclusions that are presumed to apply to all patients with cancer. In the present analysis, we did not have in-depth information on patients' disease, and although extensive efforts were made to conduct a thorough systematic review and meta-analysis of the outcomes for patients with various types of tumors, the results must be acknowledged as being subject to bias. However, the use of average results obtained in each study, without the patient-level data, might also represent a source of bias. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Sperm cryopreservation is an effective fertility preservation method and may benefit patients with cancer. The observed utilization rate of frozen sperm at 9% may underestimate the actual usage, as the short follow-up period is inadequate for obtaining comprehensive data on the use of frozen sperm in young cancer survivors. ART plays an important role in fertility preservation and the achievement of pregnancy, with this meta-analysis showing that ICSI delivers better clinical outcomes than IVF or IUI in patients with cancer undergoing fertility preservation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 82001634, 81960550), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M661521). There are no competing interests to declare. REGISTRATION NUMBER CRID 42022314460.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Li
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiong-Yu Lan
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Bing Zhu
- Human Sperm Bank, Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
- The Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Basic Medicine College, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Qing Fan
- Human Sperm Bank, Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
- The Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Basic Medicine College, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuan Huang
- Human Sperm Bank, Reproductive & Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
- The Institute of Reproductive and Stem Cell Engineering, Basic Medicine College, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
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Peluso G, Tisato V, Singh AV, Gemmati D, Scarpellini F. Semen Cryopreservation to Expand Male Fertility in Cancer Patients: Intracase Evaluation of Semen Quality. J Pers Med 2023; 13:1654. [PMID: 38138881 PMCID: PMC10744704 DOI: 10.3390/jpm13121654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
To preserve male fertility after diagnosis of any kind of cancer, a prompt assessment of the semen quality and an appropriate semen cryopreservation must be performed before radio-chemotherapy starts. The present work aims to evaluate the semen parameters at diagnosis of different cancer patients before cryopreservation and after thawing. Testicular tumors and lymphomas are among the most common cancers in younger patients, and while chemotherapy significantly increases patients' survival, it can epigenetically alter the semen fluid, resulting in temporary or permanent infertility. We analyzed data from the database of the Gamete Cryopreservation Center (Annunziata Hospital, CS; Italy) in the period of 2011-2020 from a cohort of 254 cancer patients aged 18-56 years. The evaluation was performed in a blind manner and anonymously recovered; the main parameters referring to semen quality were assessed in accordance with the WHO guidelines and decision limits (6th edition; 2021). The cancer types were as follows: testis cancers (TC; n = 135; 53.1%), hematological cancers (HC; n = 76; 29.9%), and other types of cancer (OC; n = 43; 17%). Comparing TC vs. HC (P1) and vs. OC (P2), TC had the worst semen quality: sperm number/mL (P1 = 0.0014; P2 = 0.004), total motility (P1 = 0.02; P2 = 0.07), progressive motility (P1 = 0.04; P2 = 0.05), viability (P1 = 0.01; P2 = 0.02), and percentage of atypical morphology (P1 = 0.05; P2 = 0.03). After semen thawing, viability and progressive motility recovery lowered, accounting for 46.82% and 16.75%, respectively, in the whole cohort; similarly, in the subgroups ascribed to TC, they showed the lowest recovery. Strong correlation existed between pre- and post-cryopreservation viability and progressive motility in the whole cohort (p < 0.001) and in the TC subgroup (p < 0.05). All cancer subgroups, to significantly different extents, had semen findings below the WHO reference values, suggesting diverse sperm susceptibilities to different cancers and cryodamage. Cancer and associated treatments epigenetically affect patients' semen quality, meaning cryopreservation should be considered a useful personalized prerogative for any kind of cancer in a timely manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Peluso
- Sperm Bank, Department of Maternal Infant, Annunziata Hospital of Cosenza, 87100 Cosenza, Italy
| | - Veronica Tisato
- Department of Translational Medicine, Hemostasis & Thrombosis Centre, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- University Strategic Centre for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Ajay Vikram Singh
- Department of Chemical and Product Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Donato Gemmati
- Department of Translational Medicine, Hemostasis & Thrombosis Centre, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- University Strategic Centre for Studies on Gender Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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Kimelman D, Torrens A, Bonelli C, Sapiro R. Fertility preservation in male cancer patients. Counseling and reproductive outcomes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1240152. [PMID: 37664467 PMCID: PMC10468982 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1240152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Advances in cancer treatments have determined an increase in survival rates. However, these lifesaving therapies may have a negative impact on reproductive health. To diminish the infertility risk; different fertility preservation strategies have been designed. Sperm freezing is the gold standard fertility preservation method in the case of post-pubertal men. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the fertility status of Uruguayan male cancer survivors who have gone through sperm freezing, as well as to assess oncofertility counseling received by these patients. Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, observational, and transversal study. A survey was conducted on male cancer survivors who cryopreserved sperm between 1985 and 2021 in "Reprovita Lab and Biobank" which is the only sperm bank in this country. Results: One hundred thirty-five participants answered the survey. At the time of diagnosis, the mean age of patients was 28.8 ± 6.4 years old. Testicular was the most frequent type of cancer (64%). Only, 12% (n = 15) already had children at the time of diagnosis. Among the interviewed survivors, 50% (n = 62) attempted to conceive after cancer treatment, and 68% (n = 42) achieved natural pregnancy. Patients who did not achieve spontaneous conception (n = 11), used their cryopreserved samples, and 45.4% achieved pregnancy. About 86% (n = 107) of survivors believed that the timing of oncofertility referrals was appropriate and 97% considered that having the possibility of protecting their fertility was very important. Eighty percent (n = 101), were advised by their attending physicians, 14% (n = 18) sought advice from family members or friends, and 4% (n = 5) from oncofertility specialists. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the reproductive outcomes of male cancer survivors in our country and the region. Most of the interviewed survivors considered fertility preservation as a positive initiative, independent of their reproductive outcomes, reflecting the importance of fertility preservation counseling as one of the most important aspects for futurequality of life of young cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Kimelman
- Oncofertility Program, Centro Hospitalario Pereira Rossell, Administración de los Servicios de Salud del Estado (ASSE), Montevideo, Uruguay
- Reprovita Lab and Biobank, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Clínica Ginecotocológica “B”, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | | | - Rossana Sapiro
- Unidad Académica Histologia y Embriologia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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Tang W, Deng C, Gao J, Tian S, Wei N, Li B, Song J, Zhang L, Wu H, Jiang H. An evaluation of the population characteristics, semen quality, and utilization status of autologous sperm cryopreservation and fertility preservation in for 662 patients: a 6-year monocentric retrospective study. Basic Clin Androl 2022; 32:18. [PMID: 36324079 PMCID: PMC9629882 DOI: 10.1186/s12610-022-00169-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sperm cryopreservation is an effective method of fertility preservation for disease-related and social sperm freezing. In total, 662 subjects (range: 15–65 years-of-age; mean: 33.49 ± 8.79 years-of-age) were included in this study to investigate the population characteristics, semen quality, and usage of autologous sperm preservation patients in Beijing. Of these, 351 were cancer patients (53.02%, 31.14 ± 7.32 years-of-age) and 311 were non-cancer patients (46.98%, 36.14 ± 9.54 years-of-age). Results We found that the number of preservation cases increased steadily from 2015 to 2019; 89.73% of these had a bachelor's degree or above; 54.83%, 41.54%, and 3.63% were single, married, and divorced, respectively. The cases of cancers and oligozoospermia accounted for 71.30% of all patients; therefore, most patients required fertility preservation due to disease. The cancer group had a significantly lower sperm concentration, rate of progressive sperm after the frozen-thawed test, total progressive motility sperm count after the frozen-thawed test, and recovery rate of progressive motile sperm (RRPM) than the non-cancer group (all P < 0.05). Sperm count-related parameters were significantly affected by testicular cancer, while sperm motility-related parameters and RRPM were significantly affected by leukemia. The utilization rate of preserved sperm was 6.34% after 6 to 78 months of follow-up. In terms of fresh or frozen embryo transfer, the clinical pregnancy rate was 56.76% or 50.00%, and the live birth rate was 24.32% or 21.43%, respectively. Conclusion The need for autologous sperm preservation was dominated by patients with diseases, followed by the need for social sperm freezing. Tumors had a major negative impact on semen quality, and the usage rates of stored semen were at lower level compared to the number of sperm cryopreservation. Medical staff and patients should pay attention to both cognition-action consistency and cost-effectiveness in fertility preservation.
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