A third of childhood cancer patients may be infertile

Childhood cancer patients face an uncertain future regarding whether they have remained fertile, and a recent German study makes this abundantly clear.

According to findings published in Deutsches Arzteblatt International, as many as 30 percent of childhood cancer survivors are suspected of being rendered infertile because of their anti-cancer treatments.

Researchers collected data from 2,754 participants (1,476 of whom had been treated for a leukemia subtype, and the rest, for solid tumors). Of those, 210 agreed to undergo fertility testing, and infertility was suspected in thirty percent.

Several chemotherapy drugs, especially a select few known to treat hematologic cancers, are known to be high-risk for loss of fertility. The same is true for radiotherapy, when the radiation is not focused and affects the groin.

Source: Medical News Today