Since the 1970s, survival rates for girls and boys with malignant diseases have steadily improved.
Fertility is impaired in up to one third of girls and boys after chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, and in over two thirds after a bone marrow transplant. Irradiation of the brain can lead to cessation of egg maturation or sperm production. Irradiation of the pelvis with more than 14 Gy can result in impaired uterine function, which increases the risk of pregnancy complications.
The counselling interview includes information about the risk of a fertility disorder as well as the chances and risks of fertility-preserving measures. Adolescent patients should make a joint decision with their parents. The possibility of later adoption in the event of a complete loss of fertility should also be mentioned in the counselling interview. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy do not increase the risk for a malformation in children born later on.
In order to support the patient in the decision-making regarding fertility-preserving measures we recomend the “Decision Aid” linked here. It is a digital decision aid developed by psychologists, psychotherapists and reproductive physicians.
