Chemotherapy/immunotherapy/ hormone therapy and fertility
Systemic therapy is treatment that uses medications (drugs) that travel through the body to treat cancer cells. It can include chemotherapy, androgen deprivation therapy (hormone therapy), targeted drugs, and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy and other cancer treatment drugs may affect your fertility.
Cancer drugs may change healthy sperm for men or might slow or stop eggs from being made by women Some patients might find it more difficult to get pregnant and have a baby after systemic therapy is finished.
Some patients decide to preserve (“freeze”) their eggs or sperm before they start their treatments.
Ask your doctor about
- egg freezing
- embryo (an egg that has been fertilized) freezing or
- sperm freezing vs. sperm banking
Important
Talk to your health care team about your wishes/ plans to have children before you start your treatment. It is very important not to get pregnant if you are on systemic therapy or any other cancer treatment drugs. These drugs can harm the baby.
Female patients,or patients with female body parts: Some of the side effects of systemic therapy, like nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), vomiting and diarrhea, might make a contraceptive pill not work as well. You may need to use alternative contraception during chemotherapy.
Male patients, or patients who have male sex organs: It is important that if your partner is female they do not get pregnant while you are on systemic therapy. Use condoms if you have sex during your chemotherapy treatment. Medications can get transferred through body fluid which can harm your partner.
