What can my child's doctors do to protect his/her fertility?

As you may already know, radiation therapy and chemotherapy can put your child’s future fertility at risk. However, there are some ways the oncologist can protect your child’s fertility during surgery or during their cancer treatment. For your daughter, the potential options are:

GIRLS

Ovarian Shielding
Before beginning radiation therapy, the oncologist will evaluate the potential effect of the therapy on normal tissues that are near the cancer. The doctor will determine the optimal area to treat, and whether normal tissues or highly sensitive tissues, such as the ovaries, can be shielded to reduce the amount of radiation exposure. This is standard practice at most radiation therapy facilities.

Dose Fractionation
The oncologist will also determine the dose of radiation that is needed to kill the cancer while minimizing the toxic effect on nearby normal tissues or sensitive tissues. This is also standard practice at most radiation treatment facilities.

Ovarian Transposition
Surgeons can move the ovaries away from the area receiving radiation therapy. The goal of the surgery is to move the ovaries within the pelvis where they can still function, but will be out of the way of harmful radiation. The surgery is either performed in conjunction with another planned cancer surgery or as an independent minimally invasive procedure with laparoscopy. In laparoscopic surgery, surgeons make a few small incisions and insert a telescope (aka laparoscope) and surgical instruments into the abdomen.

Recovery times vary, but on average, recovery takes between 2 days and 2 weeks. Most people who were healthy prior to their diagnosis are able to begin cancer treatment within the two-week recovery time, in a timeframe that is acceptable to their oncologist. Women who have had the surgery, while retaining their ovaries and their function, may still need the help of an infertility specialist for future reproduction. Also note that ovarian transposition does not protect the ovaries from the whole-body effects of chemotherapy when used in conjunction with radiation therapy.

For your son, the potential options are:

BOYS

Testicular Shielding
Before beginning radiation therapy, the oncologist will evaluate the potential effect of the therapy on normal tissues that are near the cancer. The doctor will determine the optimal area to treat, and whether normal tissues or highly sensitive tissues, such as the testes, can be shielded to reduce the amount of radiation exposure. This is standard practice at most radiation therapy facilities.

Dose Fractionation
The oncologist will determine the dose of radiation that is needed to kill the cancer while minimizing the toxic effect on nearby normal tissues or sensitive tissues, such as the testicles and sperm. This is also standard practice at most radiation treatment facilities. Click on the links to your right to learn more.