Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health Study Assesses Barriers to Sperm Banking in Young Males with High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital researchers survey pediatric oncologists on offering sperm banking to newly-diagnosed young men with leukemia
With high survival rates, Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health is putting emphasis on long-range quality of life issues, including programs to support fertility following cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Recent research at Hackensack Meridian Children's Health Children's Cancer Institute explored current barriers to sperm banking in young male leukemia patients.
"We've made great progress in the care of children with blood cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with some 90% of patients surviving their disease," explained Burton Appel, M.D., MBA, associate professor of Pediatrics, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and associate director of the Hackensack Meridian Children's Health Children's Cancer Institute. This success rate increases the importance of long-range, comprehensive support for survivors, including fertility preservation.
The recent research, a function of the Fertility Preservation Program at Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital, assessed practices regarding sperm banking in post-pubertal males with newly diagnosed high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Dr. Burton Appel and fellow investigators surveyed 2,345 pediatric oncologists to assess barriers to sperm banking in young males with newly diagnosed ALL.
The most frequently cited barriers to sperm banking included insufficient time before chemotherapy, patients being too sick and lack of perceived need, as most patients remain fertile after initial treatment. Of the surveyed physicians who offered sperm banking, 43% worked at institutions without a dedicated oncofertility team. Their findings were presented at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting.
In addition to sperm banking, the Fertility Preservation Program offers ovarian stimulation and egg freezing for post-pubertal females, with referral to reproductive endocrinology specialists; ovarian tissue cryopreservation for pre-pubertal females and post-pubertal females who are not candidates for ovarian stimulation and egg freezing; and testicular tissue cryopreservation for pre-pubertal males, offered as part of a multi-center clinical trial. The team includes a pediatric oncologist, pediatric surgeon, advanced practice nurse and a dedicated nurse navigator.
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