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Testicular Cancer- Fertility Preservation
If you’ve been diagnosed with testicular cancer fertility preservation should be a top priority for you. I know because I was single when I was diagnosed with a blood cancer called multiple myeloma. I gave no thought to preserving my own fertility. I underwent radiation as well as aggressive, high dose chemotherapy.
Fortunately while I was getting comfortable on the radiation table, Dr. Shina asked me about my future as a dad. Next thing you know I’m off the radiation table and on the sixth floor to storing my sperm. Nurse Ratchet (not her real name) handed me a small plastic bottle and put me in a room with a mattress with a paper cover on it. I’m not exaggerating here. Let’s hope that the process of fertility preservation has progressed since 1995.
My son Alex graduated from college a couple of years ago. My discomfort was worth it.
My point is, regardless of your age, regardless of what you may or may not be thinking about NOW, fertility preservation is important to you. Especially if you are about to undergo chemotherapy for testicular cancer.
Some common fertility preservation options for cancer survivors may include:
- Egg or Sperm Freezing: This involves harvesting and freezing eggs or sperm before undergoing cancer treatments that may affect fertility.
- Embryo Freezing: If a person has a partner, they may choose to fertilize eggs with sperm to create embryos, which can then be frozen for future use.
- Ovarian Tissue Freezing: In some cases, ovarian tissue containing eggs can be removed and frozen for potential future use.
- Hormone Therapy: Some cancer survivors may benefit from hormone therapy to help restore or improve fertility after cancer treatment.
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): Assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF can be used to conceive after cancer treatment.
man hand holding his nutritional supplemets, healthy lifestyle background.
Have you been diagnosed with testicular cancer? How old are you? Have you and your onc. discussed a possible therapy plan? Some chemo regimens are better than others when it comes to fertility preservation.
At this point I would like to plug evidence-based but non-conventional therapies shown to help cancer patients. Nutrition, supplementation and lifestyle therapies can all make a huge difference in your body’s ability to heal from any and all toxicity. To learn more about non-conventional therapies email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Therapeutic effect of sodium alginate on bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin (BEP)-induced reproductive toxicity by inhibiting nitro-oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis
“The most common malignancy affecting young adult males aged between 20 and 35 years is testis tumors, including germ cell and stromal cell tumors6,7,8. Co-administration of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) regimen in three to four cycles of chemotherapy is globally accepted chemotherapy in patients with metastatic germ cell tumors, even in those with intermediate and poor prognosis5,9,10,11…
BEP drugs are gonadotoxic and commonly induce a persistent decline in
- normal Leydig cell function,
- reduced androgen production,
- oligospermia,
- azoospermia,
- and decreased libido,
resulting in an irreversible impairment of fertility5,7,17,20,21,22,23. This chemotherapy regimen also reduces sperm count and motility and induces apoptosis, seminiferous tubular atrophy, and adverse outcomes in offspring, which vary depending on the dosage and treatment period5,7,18,24…
The incidence of male factor infertility has increased significantly in recent years and is a primary cause of around 50% of couples’ infertility25,26,27,28,29,30. Male infertility occurs for several reasons, including smoking, alcohol use, obesity, varicoceles, cancer, and cancer therapy27,28,31.
The process of spermatogenesis and protecting spermatogonial stem cells is essential for human reproduction32. Since spermatogonial cells are the precursors of all the spermatogenic cells and the Sertoli cells, as supportive cells, they play pivotal roles in spermatogenesis, and the degree of damage to these cells determines the chance of fertility recovery5.
Oxidative stress as a common consequence of cancer treatments results in oxidative stress-related male sub/infertility33. Natural and synthetic antioxidants are widely used to address reproductive toxicity and male infertility caused by various toxicants and anticancer drugs33,35…
Conclusion
The present study provides evidence that sodium alginate effectively relieves BEP chemotherapy regimen-induced reproductive toxicity by reducing nitrosative and oxidative stress and regulating the inflammatory and apoptotic processes…”