Cancer treatment is known to cause fertility issues, leaving many cancer patients struggling to make arrangements to preserve fertility or seek out post-cancer fertility treatment.  Treatment focuses on beating cancer and keeping the patient alive, and other needs are a lower priority.  Some female patients choose to freeze eggs or freeze embryos made from their eggs and their partner’s sperm.

A recent study in the Lancet Oncology examined loss of fertility in female childhood cancer survivors.  They saw that cancer survivors had compromised uterine function and reduced ovarian reserve, which impact fertility.  Ovarian reserve measures the current supply of eggs in a woman’s ovaries.  Egg supply and proper functioning of the uterus are critical for reproductive success.

The study indicated that, despite difficulties in conceiving, two-thirds of these women went on to have children.  This is a similar pregnancy rate as non-cancer survivors that have undergone infertility treatments.  In this study, researchers analyzed data from 3,531 women.  They had 455 participants in the study that were clinically infertile, but 64 percent went on to have children.

Researchers also examined siblings of cancer survivors.  Younger cancer survivors were more likely to have infertility issues while women in their late 30s showed less of a difference in infertility between cancer survivors and non-cancer survivor siblings.  They found that survivors were just as likely as their siblings to seek infertility treatment, though the siblings were twice as likely to be prescribed medication.  Researchers expressed concerns that providers may be showing a bias against treating cancer survivors for infertility.

“We do not have data about why providers did not prescribe infertility drugs, but are concerned about a provider bias against treating cancer survivors for infertility,” said study leader Dr. Sara Barton, according to Medical News Today.

“Perhaps providers assessed the chance of success as poor and therefore decided not to attempt therapy, or perhaps survivors were less motivated to take drugs after previous extensive treatment. Alternatively, reproductive medicine providers might have been uncomfortable with perceived medical comorbidities.”

Data in the study came from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS).  Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the CCSS collected data on more than 14,000 cancer survivors and 4,000 of their siblings.  These survivors were originally diagnosed between 1970 and 1986.  Another set of 14,000 adults who were treated for cancer as children.  There are nearly 12 million cancer survivors and over 300,000 were originally diagnosed under the age of 21.

Almost 80 percent of children with cancer are alive at least five years later.  Scientists are interested in studying this group to learn about the long-term health consequences for cancer survivors.  Another study, based out of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, found that 98 percent of adults that survived childhood cancer had a chronic health condition.  These conditions included new cancers, neurocognitive problems, or cardiovascular issues.  By the age of 45, about 80 percent were suffering from a condition that was serious, disabling, or life-threatening.