Fertility preservation in adolescent and young adult cancer patients: From a part of a national survey on oncofertility in Japan

Abstract

Purpose: This study evaluated the current status of reproductive disorders and provision of information on oncofertility to female adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients in Japan. Methods: A national survey of AYA cancer survivors was conducted. Children were <15 years old, and AYAs were 15-39 years old. Results from the survivors of other than gynecological disease who underwent chemotherapy were analyzed. Results: Among the survivors, 41.4% were concerned about their reproductive function and infertility, and 36.2% were aware of menstrual cycle abnormalities. Among them, 15.5% (n = 20) of all and 21.2% (n = 17) of the AYA-onset survivors suffered infertility due to chemo- or radiotherapy and gave up childbearing. These rates were significantly higher than those of healthy AYAs. Although 80.8% of AYA-onset survivors answered that they had received information on reproductive function and infertility, only 55.8% had received information on fertility preservation methods. Furthermore, only 22.4% of all and 42.3% of AYA-onset survivors had received pretreatment information on fertility preservation methods. Conclusions: Not a few AYA cancer survivors reported reproductive dysfunction. These findings indicate that information provided on therapy-related problems before cancer treatment in Japan was insufficient and highlight the need to improve patient decision-making and support systems for fertility preservation.