Fertility after Childhood Cancer and Preservation Methods

Summary of the main results of the previous and presentation of the ongoing studies on fertility after chemo- and radiotherapy in childhood and adolescence, FeCt.

In the FeCt – Nationwide Survey 2008, 90% of 2754 participants, treated since 1980, average age 26 years, indicated the desire to have children. Up to one third of the participants had signs of suspected infertility with significant risk factors being pelvic radiotherapy and postpubertal status at diagnosis. The following FeCt – Berlin Hormone and Sperm analyses 2009 confirmed these results and identified the alkylating agents Cyclophosphamide/Ifosphamide as an additional risk factor for women.

The Austrian-Czech-German Study FeCt – Fertility after allogeneic HSCT 2010 in childhood and adolescence showed a fertility impairment in 69% males and 83% females with the risk factors TBI for male and female patients and additional risk factors for female patients being Busulfan and postpubertal status at diagnosis.

In 2012, an International Longitudinal Study and – Offspring Study shall be conducted. The Longitudinal Study examines the dynamics of the fertility impairment of 344 patients from 7 centers from Austria, Czech Republic and Germany following allogeneic HSCT – The Longitudinal Pilot study 2011 in Berlin and Erlangen also includes brain tumor patients.

The Offspring study with estimated 1500 offspring of survivors and participating countries being Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Switzerland shall examine the general health status off the offspring of survivors compared to a control group of offspring of the siblings of the survivors and participants of “KIGGS”, the German health interview and examination survey for children and adolescence.

In 2012 we started our FeCt – Implementation study with the aim to develop a brochure for patients and their parents about fertility and preservation methods following childhood cancer.