Cancer and Sperm DNA Damage

Abstract

16.1 Introduction Recent epidemiological studies indicate that there is a worldwide rise in the inci-dence of many cancers that affect boys and young men [1–3]. Simultaneously, with the advances in medical technology for early detection of cancer and the improve-ment in the efficacy of cancer therapies, the survival rates of many of these cancer patients have improved dramatically in the past decades. Many young cancer survi-vors have not started or completed forming a family. Thus, the impact of cancer and cancer therapies on male reproductive health and the options for fertility preserva-tion are important issues in survivorship for young cancer patients. 16.2 Epidemiology of Cancer in Boys and Young Men Common cancers in men that receive most attention in the public media include lung, colon, prostate, skin, and liver cancers. These cancers, however, tend to affect men who have passed the reproductive age. For boys and young men, the most com-mon cancers include testicular cancer, lymphoma, leukemia, sarcoma, and brain cancers. The incidence of childhood cancer worldwide has been steadily increasing over the past 50 years [1–3]. With an estimated cumulative incidence of 1720 per million, equivalent to a risk of 1 in 581, childhood cancer is indeed one of the