Short Term Genetic Effects of Chemotherapy on Male Germ Cells

While medical advances in the area of cancer treatment have successfully improved the overall
detection and treatment of many cancers affecting men and women alike, these very treatment
modalities can adversely affect their reproductive capacity.

Certain types of chemotherapy, such as alkylating agents, are notorious for placing patients
at high risk for infertility. For men, the best recommendation for patients undergoing such
therapy is to cryopreserve semen prior to initiation of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, this may
not always occur. Some patients have been noted to present to discuss fertility preservation
options after completing their first cycle of chemotherapy. In this situation, they will most
likely still have sperm which was produced prior to chemotherapy that can be collected even
if the stem cells producing the sperm have been damaged or destroyed. However, there are no
national guidelines addressing this particular situation. Typically, physicians may advise
men to avoid conception anywhere from three months to two years after the final dose of
chemotherapy to ensure all exposed germ cells have passed through and only newly formed germ
cells remain.

It is crucial to further assess the effects of chemotherapeutic agents on male germ cells in
the short window of time between exposure and potential sterility. If a safe time frame could
be determined to collect sperm after a single dose of chemotherapy, then these men could be
given a second chance to retain their fertility potential.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Be scheduled to undergo treatment with chemotherapeutic agents for a medical
indication

- Be able to produce semen samples prior to chemotherapy and one week after first round
of chemotherapy

Exclusion Criteria:

- Men who have previously been treated with chemotherapeutic agents.

- Men with significant oligospermia or azospermia.