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Assessing Testicular Reserve in the Male Oncology Patient

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Abstract

Fertility preservation is of utmost importance to males diagnosed with malignancies, but this care does not only occur in the pretreatment setting. Longitudinal follow-up is needed to determine the duration and extent of spermatogenesis impairment in men. When assessing testicular reserve in a male cancer survivor, clinicians should keep in mind that the minimum initial evaluation of the patient should include a full medical history, physical examination, and measurement of serum testosterone and FSH levels. Additionally, semen analysis is currently the gold standard for assessing fertility status in the male. This test is readily available at most tertiary care centers and can be performed at any age after puberty.

Keeping in mind that these tests are not perfect and do not represent ideal biomarkers, research has shifted to developing more sensitive, specific, low-cost, and attainable tests. Looking to the future, as the era of “personalized medicine” progresses, panels of biomarkers that stratify baseline fertility potential and posttreatment infertility risk will further facilitate clinical decision-making for both healthcare providers and their patients.

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Abbreviations

AMH:

Anti-Müllerian hormone

ASCO:

American Society of Clinical Oncology

DSDs:

Disorders of sexual development

FSH:

Follicle-stimulating hormone

GnRH:

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone

HPG:

Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal

LH:

Luteinizing hormone

WHO:

World Health Organization

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Weill Cornell Medicine – Urology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street, Starr 900, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    James A. Kashanian MD

  2. Department of Urology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Galter Pavilion, Suite 20-150, 675 North Saint Clair Street, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Robert E. Brannigan MD

Authors
  1. James A. Kashanian MD
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Correspondence to James A. Kashanian MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Teresa K. Woodruff

  2. Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Yasmin C. Gosiengfiao

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Kashanian, J.A., Brannigan, R.E. (2017). Assessing Testicular Reserve in the Male Oncology Patient. In: Woodruff, T., Gosiengfiao, Y. (eds) Pediatric and Adolescent Oncofertility. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32973-4_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32973-4_9

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