According to an interesting article in the New York Times, it seems that many cancer patients are still not being warned about the risks treatment can pose to their fertility.
The paper reports that many patients don't think to ask about this during consultations, and that specialists often forget to tell them in the rush to start treatment. One study estimated that only 1/4 of specialists told patients that their cancer treatment could mean they would not be able to have children. In the US, a new programme has just started to help cancer patients who are worried about their future fertility.
It is surprising that even now many people are unaware that infertility is a fairly common side effect of cancer treatments. If the risks are explained before treatment starts, there is often a window of opportunity to freeze sperm or eggs before it begins. The chances of a successful pregnancy with frozen eggs are still low, but this is a rapidly changing field and this is certain to improve in the not too distant future.
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