Cancer and cancer treatment may cause fertility problems. Infertility can range from difficulty having a child to the inability to have a child. Infertility after treatment may be temporary, lasting months to years, or permanent (AYA Cancer Fertility Preservation Guidance Working Group 2014).

Patients and carers need to be advised about and referred for discussion about fertility preservation before starting treatment and need advice about contraception before, during and after treatment. Patients and their family should be aware of the ongoing costs involved in optimising fertility. Fertility management may apply in both males and females. Fertility preservation options

are different for males and females and may be specific to a patient’s age. The need for ongoing contraception applies to both men and women.

The potential for impaired fertility should be discussed and reinforced at different time points as appropriate throughout the diagnosis, treatment, surveillance and survivorship phases of care. These ongoing discussions will enable the patient and, if applicable, the family to make informed decisions. All discussions should be documented in the patient’s medical record.

More information

See the Cancer Council website  for more information.

See also the Victorian paediatric oncology care pathways: Providing optimal care for children and adolescents – acute leukaemia, central nervous system tumours and solid tumours (May 2019)