The safety measures listed below are recommended for people who are providing care or have other close contact with you during the recovery period at home. If you are a gay man or transgender person, please talk to your cancer care team about any needs that are not addressed here. About Cancer generously supported by Dangoor Education since 2010. Call freephone 9 to 5 Monday to Friday or email us. Search our clinical trials database for all cancer trials and studies recruiting in the UK, Questions about cancer? Certain health problems, including cancer, can affect these things. Cancer.org is provided courtesy of the Leo and Gloria Rosen family. Radiation that's aimed directly at testicles, or to nearby pelvic areas, can affect a male's fertility. Some other chemo drugs, such as those listed here, have a lower risk of causing infertility in males: Talk to your doctor about the chemo drugs you will get and the fertility risks that come with them. You can get more details about this type of treatment in Radiation Therapy. The American Cancer Society couldn’t do what we do without the support of our partners. People with certain types of cancer or who are getting treatment for cancer may have fertility problems. Sperm banking means collecting and storing your sperm. Abeloff’s Clinical Oncology. You can learn more in Surgery for Prostate Cancer. When a couple makes (conceives) a baby, this is called conception or reproduction. More rarely, chemotherapy can make a man’s testosterone levels drop. They then use them to inseminate your partner. (See Radiation shielding in Preserving Fertility in Men With Cancer). Moment A. Sexuality, intimacy, and cancer. You can read more about specific adult and childhood cancers in Cancer A to Z and can learn more about how fertility might be affected in How Cancer and Cancer Treatment Can Affect Fertility. Here are some things that can happen in a man: A tumor or other problem might block or press on an organ and cause it to not work properly. Some people never find out why they are having fertility problems. Sometimes it isn’t possible for you to bank sperm. This results in lifelong changes to fertility. You can learn more in Surgery for Prostate Cancer. If these concerns aren't talked about before surgery or treatment, it's important that they are brought up as soon as possible after surgery or when treatment starts. But unfortunately, the toxic drugs that help rout out and destroy cancer cells can also wreak havoc on your body. Most of the side effects are temporary, but for women who hope to someday conceive, chemotherapy can bring serious complications. Cancer Information, Answers, and Hope. Certain chemotherapy drugs given during childhood, however, can damage testicles and affect their ability to produce sperm. You need to be sure to get enough information, support, or resources to help you deal with any doubts, feelings, and expected fertility problems. You usually have tests first for infections such as hepatitis and HIV. Or sometimes your doctor may want to start treatment very quickly. Radiation is aimed directly at the testicles to treat some types of testicular cancer and might be used to treat childhood leukemia. This could affect a woman’s ability to become pregnant. It's important to wait at least 6 months (or longer) to get pregnant after chemotherapy ends. Seed implants for prostate cancer (brachytherapy) do not give a large dose of radiation to the testicles, and many males will remain fertile or recover sperm production. There is little risk to visitors, including children, babies and pregnant women, because they aren’t likely to come into contact with any chemotherapy drugs or body fluids. If conception is possible, your doctor will likely encourage you to choose a reliable method of birth control. Nerves can be damaged when lymph nodes are being removed, and this can cause problems with ejaculation. They say that any damaged eggs will leave the body within those first 6 months. 6th ed. You may experience dryness of vaginal tissues that can make intercourse uncomfortable or painful. During puberty the testicles start making sperm, and they normally will keep doing so for the rest of a man's life. Even if a patient can get an erection, if there’s no semen coming from the penis during orgasm, he cannot conceive a child through sex. You need to store the sperm before you start treatment if there is a risk that treatment will affect your fertility. Most authorities concur that maternal health and well-being must prevail. Not all chemotherapy drugs affect your ability to father a child. Radiation treatments use high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. For males, infertility means they are not able to father a child through normal sexual activity. It might also be needed for a tumor that's in or near the nervous system, such as the brain or spinal cord. This can affect your ability to have a child. Testosterone is the male sex hormone. Fertility refers to having the ability to conceive, or being able to have a child. Our team is made up of doctors and oncology certified nurses with deep knowledge of cancer care as well as journalists, editors, and translators with extensive experience in medical writing. I am 12 weeks pregnant, and asked my OB who said he didn't see any problem dealing with the chemo drugs since there's nothing airborne, and I'm not likely to get the stuff all over my hands. Because this surgery removes the bladder and prostate gland, there is no semen production and no ejaculation of sperm after the surgery. You might have to start the conversation yourself. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 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