Reproductive prognosis in male patients with azoospermia at the time of cancer diagnosis

Objective

Fertility status evaluation in patients found azoospermic at the time of malignancy diagnosis.

Design

Case series follow-up.

Setting

University Hospital Sperm Banking service.

Patient(s)

Male cancer patients found azoospermic between 1986 and June 2000.

Intervention(s)

Patients were interviewed about their reproductive history and were invited for a free semen analysis.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Pregnancy rate (PR) and percentage of patients with viable spermatozoa in the ejaculate.

Result(s)

Sixty-five patients were enrolled; 16 were lost at follow-up, 7 died, and 42 were followed to the end of the study. The median (range) time of follow-up for the 42 remaining patients was 9 years (2–14 years). Seventeen patients had wanted to father a child; 12 had a child (71%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 48%–88%). Semen analysis results were available in 11 patients. Resumption of spermatogenesis was documented in 9 cases (82%, 95% CI 53%–97%).

Conclusion(s)

Spontaneous fertility recovery is frequent in patients who are azoospermic at the time of cancer diagnosis.

Key Words:  Cancer , azoospermia , pregnancy , prognosis