If you need to undergo surgery for testicular cancer that involves removal of one or both testicles, you may need to look into storing your sperm in a sperm bank ahead of surgery. Chemotherapy is the use of certain medications to destroy cancer cells. It usually works by slowing down and eventually stopping the cancer cells from growing. Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves usually x-rays to slow down the tumour growth and destroy the cancer cells. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy may have similar outcomes on your fertility because both treatments can temporarily decrease your sperm production and damage the health of your sperm.
It can take over two years for the quantity and quality of your sperm to return to normal and in some instances, infertility can be permanent.
Testicular cancer may reduce your levels of testosterone, and chemotherapy and radiation therapy can further decrease production of testosterone by the testicles. Your doctor will be able to provide testosterone gels, patches, or supplements to treat this issue should it come up. This is common and completely normal. Being diagnosed with testicular cancer and deciding on a treatment plan with your doctor can be a very scary experience. The best thing you can do right now look after yourself in the present but also explore your options for the future.
Testicular cancer and its treatment can affect hormone levels and can also affect your ability to father children after treatment. Most boys and men develop cancer in only one testicle. The remaining testicle usually can make enough testosterone the main male hormone to keep you healthy. If the other testicle needs to be removed because the cancer is in both testicles or if a new cancer develops in the other testicle, you'll need to take some form of testosterone for the rest of your life.
If you need testosterone supplements, talk to your doctor about what form is best for you. The removal of one testicle will not affect a man's ability to father children. However, chemotherapy usually causes infertility during and for a time after treatment, and for some men this may be permanent. For this reason men are usually advised to store sperm before starting chemotherapy treatment.
Men, who live quite close to the hospital, may be able to produce sperm samples at home. Otherwise samples are produced at the hospital. Some hospitals store sperm free, but if the hospital has to pay for this service, the patient may be charged. Radiotherapy does not usually cause infertility either, but sperm banking should be offered before treatment starts.
One man was worried because he wasn't offered sperm banking before radiotherapy, and was relieved when his wife subsequently had a baby girl. Another man mentioned that the doctor wrongly assumed that because he had two children he didn't need to consider sperm banking before his radiotherapy. Some of the men interviewed here reported that their sperm wasn't active before their operation to remove a testicle.
One man described his distress at finding out that he was infertile before his chemotherapy started, and he was felt it was 'out of order' when the GP's receptionist wrongly assumed that he would be pleased that his sperm count was nil, thus avoiding the need for contraceptives. It is known that successful treatment with chemotherapy may actually cause sperm production to improve.
This man was delighted that his sperm count returned to normal some time after his treatment had finished, thus giving him the choice of having children in future.
Sometimes surgery to remove a tumour or the lymph glands in the abdomen causes damage to the nerves that control ejaculation see ' Sex'. In this case sperm can be stored before surgery so that it is possible to father a child by assisted reproduction. Explains that sperm samples can be produced at home if you live near the hospital. View full profile. You mentioned sperm, did they offer you sperm storage? Yeah this is it as well, yeah going to that, I'm glad you asked that.
When they told me I had to have chemotherapy to hopefully kill the tumour that was left in me they did mentioned my sperm count saying because I had, actually hadn't had any children at that point. I didn't plan having any children, but in case I did they did offer me a chance of banking some sperm should the need arise. Because sometimes they say that the chemotherapy can kill, can ruin your sperm count and it won't come back. So consequently if they have banked some sperm you've got some in there for the future should you need it.
I was told to go along, I spoke to the person on the phone. In this hospital I, you know I've seen sort of comedy sketches or whatever about the sperm bank where you go into a room with men's book or magazine or whatever and give a sample let's say. It wasn't like that and in fact the person on the phone said if you can do a sample at home and I got a tube from my, a little specimen tube from my GP's surgery, was if I could it at home I can't remember the time span but you've got like a couple of hours to bring it in to the hospital.
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