Lack of awareness among doctors denies cancer patients chance at fatherhood
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can lower male fertility, but freezing sperm before treatment can help men become fathers in the future. A survey of Irish consultants showed that many of them discuss sperm freezing with male cancer patients, especially those with testicular cancer or lymphoma. However, some consultants are not aware of where to send patients for this service. Most consultants believe sperm freezing is beneficial for patients' mental well-being. Many consultants are not familiar with advanced reproductive technologies like intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and may not be fully informed about the benefits for patients with low sperm counts. Consultants often only refer male cancer patients aged 20-40 for sperm freezing, and some are unaware that it does not delay cancer treatment. Increasing awareness among consultants about the benefits of sperm cryopreservation could help more male cancer patients preserve their fertility.