The undiscussed risks of cancer diagnosis and treatment: How cancer impacts male fertility

As research in medicine is working to crack the code to various diseases, cancer remains one of the worst and more complex illnesses society has yet to figure out. The impact of cancer weakens every aspect of our health, from physical to mental to emotional, and of course, reproductive. For many patients planning to have children in the future, the first step prior to cancer treatment is preserving fertility through egg or sperm freezing. At Legacy, we stand alongside our customers battling for their health and assist with pre and post-cancer goals of having children.

With illnesses including Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma, and leukemia significantly lowering the quality of sperm, the diagnosis essentially translates into an overall disturbance of normal functioning reproductive health. Another common form of cancer that directly impacts reproductive health is prostate cancer, which can cause disintegrate glands and vesicles that are responsible for healthy sperm and semen production. Probably the most damaging to male reproductive health is testicular cancer, which impacts the processes of spermatogenesis and impairs the functionality of both testicles even if only one is diagnosed with cancer.

Today’s method of battling cancer – harsh treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation – can in some instances cause more harm than cancer itself. In some situations, treatment can leave patients with compromised fertility, temporary infertility, or permanently sterile, which means that reproductive health may or may not be able to be restored with medical assistance. The precautions sought prior to treatment is crucial to ensure patients can carry on their legacy, in spite of cancer.

Because of the dangers that cancer treatments present, doctors recommend patients cryopreserve their semen for future use.