Blog written by Laboratory Staff Chauntae
When facing a diagnosis of cancer, many people typically do not think about sperm banking. Likewise, a physician may have his or her mind focused on treatment and how best to ensure their patient beats the disease. While treating the cancer is of top priority, it is also important to remember the patient’s quality of life AFTER beating cancer.
The staff at Cryogenic Laboratories has been working to educate medical professionals in the oncology field. By reaching out the doctors and nurses on the front line, we are hoping they are able to convey to the patient the importance of sperm banking prior to starting chemotherapy and radiation. While some treatments are more intense than others, one can never be 100% sure about their fertility post treatment.
While working at CLI I have had an amazing opportunity to share in the joy of beautiful twin boys born using semen banked prior to treatments for testicular cancer. The dad was very young when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer; hardly old enough to rent a car. With the guidance of his physician, he was able to store a specimen before starting his treatments.
Some years down the road, cancer free and in remission, he and his wife decided that they wanted to start a family. Unfortunately due to the orchiectomy and chemotherapy, he was left sterile and had to turn to use his banked specimens. Thankfully he had chosen to bank sperm prior to chemotherapy. It wasn’t too long after the vials shipped to their physician a pregnancy was achieved using IVF….amazing!
