Fertility Preservation in Japanese Children and Adolescents with Cancer

Abstract

As the survival rate of pediatric and adolescent patients with cancer has shown marked improvement, the late effects of anticancer therapy on survivors of childhood/adolescent cancer have also been recognized as a critical issue in Japan. The Long-Term Follow-Up Guidelines for Survivors of Childhood and Adolescent Cancers were prepared by pediatric oncologists and endocrinologists with the aim of improving the management of various issues. Nevertheless, avoiding subfertility after anticancer therapy is still the responsibility of the individual treating pediatric oncologists who lack adequate coordination with reproductive medicine specialists. Thus, appropriate preventive measures for possible loss of fertility are often unavailable to young cancer survivors. Young patients with cancer may not receive any information about fertility after anticancer therapy. Also, follow-up for the primary disease is discontinued in quite a few patients, so that children and adolescents who survive cancer commonly face the crucial matter of infertility in adulthood without support.