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Preservation of fertility in patients with testicular carcinoma

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Summary

Testicular carcinoma is routinely cured, and patients enjoy a long life expectancy. However, to attain this dramatic improvement in survival, a combination of surgical, chemotherapeutic, and radiotherapeutic strategies are employed. These treatments may be deleterious to the future fertility potential of the individual receiving them. We will review the mechanisms whereby each of the above may impair fertility and also discuss the means either to overcome or to prevent those effects. By preserving or restoring the ability to conceive, the lives of these young men are made more complete. It is incumbent upon the treating physician to understand the devastating effects therapy may have and to try as best possible to minimize them while maintaining a high level of treatment efficacy.

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Oates, R.D., Sarazen, A.A. & Krane, R.J. Preservation of fertility in patients with testicular carcinoma. World J Urol 10, 52–58 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00186092

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