Cancerbackup: Fertility

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Q&As on this topic

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1. I have been told that if I have chemotherapy, I will not be able to have children. Is this true? Having children to carry on the family name is important to me.

last reviewed: 31.01.2007

2. My daughter is having chemotherapy for cancer. She is coming to stay with me. I know people on chemotherapy are at risk of developing infections. Does this mean I have to get rid of our pets?

last reviewed: 01.01.2005

3. My daughter is having chemotherapy for a cancer. She has had two courses of treatment so far but has had very few side-effects. Does this mean the treatment is not working?

last reviewed: 27.01.2005

4. My partner is having chemotherapy and we would like to have sex but we are worried that it may harm him. Is it OK or do we have to stop having sex until after chemotherapy is finished. He is too embarrassed to ask anyone at the hospital as it seems silly thing to worry about

last reviewed: 01.11.2004

5. I have testicular teratoma and am due to start treatment in the next few weeks. I am booked for a course of chemotherapy (BEP) and am worried that I should be storing sperm. I am 24 years old and married with one son, but we were planning to try for more children. I know now isn't a good time to be trying for children, but it is a concern for the future.

last reviewed: 01.09.2004

6. What is 'extravasation'? My nurse used the word to explain why she was giving my chemotherapy injection very slowly.

last reviewed: 01.01.2005

7. I am a man of 25 and I may need to have chemotherapy for my cancer. My doctors have said this could affect my fertility but I could have sperm banking. What does this mean?

last reviewed: 27.01.2005

8. My son is going to have chemotherapy for cancer. His doctors have told him the treatment could make him infertile. They are arranging sperm banking for him but I have recently read about transplants that might help. Could he have a transplant?

last reviewed: 27.01.2005

9. I am on day 40 of my first cycle of chemotherapy for acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML). My white count and platelet counts are still low. How long can this carry on for?

last reviewed: 01.01.2005

10. When doctors do my blood tests they mention haemoglobin. What is haemogloblin? What should my haemoglobin level be?

last reviewed: 28.05.2005

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All Q&As are selected from some of the thousands asked by people contacting Cancerbackup every year. They are answered by specialists and reviewed and updated regularly.


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