Cancer Health Center

You've Survived Cancer: Now What?

The Fertility Issue

Of the problems faced by cancer survivors, damaged fertility is one of the least understood, says Fertile Hope's Nohr. The side effects of radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery can leave a person infertile.

"I would estimate that only 10% of oncologists even discuss the fertility issue with female patients who are under 45 before treatment," she says. "That is a big, big problem. Cancer patients are much more empowered now than they have been in the past, getting second opinions and researching their treatment options, but many patients don't understand that some cancer treatments many leave them unable to have children."

Cancer patients can take special fertility-saving measures before treatment. Adult and adolescent males can make deposits in a sperm bank for future use. Prepubescent boys can have testicular tissue frozen to preserve sperm.

For women the issues are more complex. A woman's fertility-saving measures depend entirely on her cancer treatment and her particular physiology. Eggs can be extracted and frozen, as can embryos. From there, the measures become increasingly tailored to an individual woman's needs.

"That's why all women cancer patients who have the potential to bear a child need to see a reproductive endocrinologist before cancer treatment begins," says Nohr. "Oncologists do not know enough about fertility. They tend to be not well educated about these issues, and that's why women need to be very proactive and think farther down the road to protect their fertility if possible."

That's also, says Nessim, why a survivor support group is so important.

Talk Therapy

"To have a group of survivors you can talk to is so vital," she says. "You learn from their experiences and mistakes. Once you finish treatment, your issues are dealing with everyday life. You may not be comfortable talking with cancer patients who are currently in treatment if you're worried about how you're going to keep your job or paying bills or feeling depressed."

Talking with other survivors about survivor issues is what makes all the difference, says Nessim.