Fertility preservation

Fertility preservation

We offer rapid access fertility preservation options for both men and women who will be embarking on treatment that may impair their fertility, such as chemotherapy.

If you are given a diagnosis of cancer, these are a few things to consider:

• treatments for many cancers continue to improve, leading to longer and better survival
• the same treatments (radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgical) can harm your fertility
• there is usually a limited time for you to decide if you would like to preserve your sperm, eggs or embryos before starting treatment that might affect your fertility.

What we can do for you

Before cancer treatment we provide a full assessment of your fertility potential, we can then advise on reproductive function after cancer treatment.

Based on your individual circumstances, we will determine the most suitable fertility preservation option for you:

• for men – sperm freezing
• for women – freezing of eggs or embryos and ovarian tissue preservation.

Freezing of eggs or embryos

The frozen sperm, eggs or embryos can be used if you wish to try for a baby after your cancer treatment is completed.

We can provide supportive counselling and advise medical professionals who are considering referring their patients to our services.

For some patients traditional methods of freezing eggs or embryos may not be available. We offer an alternative fertility preservation approach in the form of ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC). This is for female patients who cannot delay cancer treatment and/or are too young to undergo hormonal stimulation.

Find out more about this treatment here.

After cancer treatment

We’ll assess your fertility potential and advise on reproductive function. Regular periods after treatment do not guarantee normal fertility. However, absence of periods does not always mean you can’t get pregnant. So, advice on appropriate contraception is also important while you are recovering from cancer and its treatment.

We’ll also provide specialist advice:

• about HRT and other aspects of women’s health in cases of early menopause
• on men’s health in cases of testicular failure or hypo-gonadism secondary to radiotherapy of head
• for women who developed Vaginal Graft Versus Host Disease following bone marrow transplant.

Fertility treatment can be provided where possible and we can advise on alternative options including surrogacy, donation and adoption.

Who can contact us?

• anyone who has diagnosis of cancer and is going to have treatment that could give a good long-term prognosis, but might affect fertility.
• anyone who has non-cancer illness, eg lupus, sickle cell disease etc., that might require surgical, chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment.
• any medical practitioner who provides care to patients of reproductive age requiring gonadotoxic treatment.
• parents of teenage and young adults (14 to 25 years).