Fast Facts

• Treatment response rates and survival for the most commonly diagnosed cancers among men and women younger than 40 years (reproductive age) are continually improving; 5-year survival rates now exceed 80% for childhood leukemia, 75% for NHL, 80% for breast cancer and testicular cancer survivorship is at 95%.
• About 75% of patients without children at the time of their cancer diagnosis wish to have future offspring, according to data from one review article.
• It is estimated that 1 in 500 children will be diagnosed with a form of childhood cancer. Fortunately, with the use of aggressive treatment modalities, more than 75% of these children will be cured.
• Because of advances in fertilization and sperm banking technologies, all men, even those with extremely low sperm counts and motility, should be considered candidates for sperm cryopreservation.   
• Studies have reported that having banked sperm may help men to cope emotionally with their diagnosis even if the samples are never used^.   
• Ideally, sperm should be collected before initiation of cancer therapy; however collection of sperm in the early stages of treatment is common and can be effective.
• Most breast cancer patients and testicular cancer patients do have a significant window of opportunity to complete fertility preservation.
• Our youngest storage client, had her tissue retrieved at 16 MONTHS.
• Our youngest male storage client banked sperm at 11 years of age.
• It is estimated that reproductive tissue can remain viable for 2-3000 years when properly cryopreserved.
• We currently have semen (recently analyzed and determined viable) in storage that was frozen in 1971.
• More than 1,000 births have occurred worldwide following oocyte cryopreservation.
• The longest storage period followed by a successful pregnancy;
• Sperm; 28 years, 11 months
• Embryos; 16 years

For more information on Fertility Preservation, please use the link below.  If you have further questions or need assistance in finding a center, please call (888) 831-2765 (West), (888) 489-8944 (Midwest) or (888) 953-9669 (East).

 ReproTech’s educational pages on Fertility Preservation.