This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Young cancer patients robbed of fertility options
The Teenage Cancer Trust has claimed that young people with cancer are being robbed of the ability to have biological children, as important information around fertility is not being communicated at the earliest opportunity.
For approximately 15 per cent of young people with cancer there is a high risk of future fertility problems, and although many health professionals provide detailed information about the impact of treatment on fertility at diagnosis, 29 per cent of young people being treated for cancer do not receive this information.
The charity has highlighted some of the key challenges faced by young people undergoing cancer treatment and called for: every young person with cancer to have their fertility options explained to them by a health professional; fully funded access to cryopreservation (egg and sperm freezing) along with access to fertility services in accordance with NICE guidelines; health professionals to talk to every young person about the impact cancer treatment can have on sexual activity; and NHS England to endorse and support the roll-out of Teenage Cancer Trusts IAM Portal to support and improve teenage and young adult mental health.
Louise Soanes, director of Services at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: "Teenagers and young adults who have lived through cancer have had so much taken away from them already. They should not lose the ability to start a family of their own too. We found that over a quarter of young people who were treated for cancer did not have a conversation about fertility with a health professional, while 44 per cent of young people were not satisfied with the information they were given. This is not acceptable and that’s why we're calling for every young person with cancer to have their fertility options explained to them by a health professional.
"Coupled with this, there needs to be fully funded access to cryopreservation (egg and sperm freezing) along with access to fertility services in accordance with NICE guidelines. Young people tell us that this isn’t always happening."
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