Post Chemotherapy Effects on Embryos

[Hoping4Kaylani]

Hi. I am wondering if there might be some unforeseen issues with using my husbands sperm for IVF post chemotherapy? We have been told by the 2 year mark, post final treatment, all should have sorted itself out and be back to normal (if he had sperm again). Well, he does have a normal semen analysis.

I guess I'm just wondering if chemo could have long term effects past 2 years, or is everything really back to normal?

Thank you!

[Carole]

Hi. I am wondering if there might be some unforeseen issues with using my husbands sperm for IVF post chemotherapy? We have been told by the 2 year mark, post final treatment, all should have sorted itself out and be back to normal (if he had sperm again). Well, he does have a normal semen analysis.

I guess I'm just wondering if chemo could have long term effects past 2 years, or is everything really back to normal?

Thank you!

Hello,
I think you will find this link helpful Preserving Fertility and Managing Hormonal Symptoms | SaveMyFertility (http://www.savemyfertility.org/fact-sheets/preserving-fertility-and-managing-hormonal-symptoms) The short answer to your question is that waiting 1-2 years is now the standard advice for men on how long they should wait before they try to conceive after chemo or radiation therapy.

Having a normal semen analysis is a good sign because it suggests that he is back to normal. Chemotherapy is most effective against rapidly dividing cells. Stem cells are a store of future sperm cells that are quiet, dividing occasionally to create one cell that goes back to being quiet as a replenishing sperm cell and another cell that goes on to divide like crazy to make lots of daughter cells (more sperm). Batches of these have washed through the factory during the last two years so any defective sperm from the batch that were exposed to chemo should be long gone.

Good luck!!
Carole