How treatment for ALL may affect your fertility

 

Will the treatment affect your fertility? Back To Top

Some of the drugs used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia can cause temporary or permanent infertility|. Your doctor will talk to you about this before you start your treatment. If you have a partner you may want them to join you at this time so you can discuss any fears or worries together.

It is important to remember that some drugs have less effect on fertility than others. There are many couples who have had normal, healthy babies after one of them has been treated for leukaemia and there is no greater risk of the baby having a mental or physical abnormality than in the general population.

Unfortunately, people who have had intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy as part of high-dose treatment and stem cell support| are likely to be permanently infertile.

As your doctor knows the exact type of treatment you are having, they are the best person to answer your questions. Make a list of any questions that you have so you are clear about your treatment, and the effect it is likely to have on you, before it starts.

Your doctor or nurse who can suggest ways of dealing with infection.

Men Back To Top

Men or boys from the age of 12 can sometimes store sperm before they start treatment so that it can be used later if they want to have a family. However, as it is important to start treatment as soon as possible there is often not time to store sperm.

Women Back To Top

Most women find that their periods stop or become irregular during treatment. Periods may go back to normal once the treatment is over, so it is very important to continue to use contraception during and for a few months after your treatment. The nearer a woman is to her natural menopause, the more likely it is that chemotherapy will stop her periods permanently.

Rarely a woman’s fertilised embryos can be stored before chemotherapy so that they can be put back into the womb after treatment to enable the woman to have a child. It is also possible to store unfertilised eggs, although this is less successful and still being researched as a way of preserving fertility. Both of these procedures are difficult and can take some time – possibly weeks or months. As it is usually necessary to start treatment for ALL as soon as possible it is not usually possible to collect eggs or fertilise an embryo.

Women whose periods stop can be given hormone replacement therapy. This does not restore fertility, but it prevents the possible development of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, dry skin, dryness of the vagina (which can make sex uncomfortable) and a decrease in sexual desire.

Sex, relationships and fertility Back To Top

If your treatment has made you become infertile, it can be very difficult to come to terms with the fact that you can't have children. You may feel that you have lost part of your identity. Other aspects of treatment for leukaemia, such as hair loss| and having a central line or PICC line|, may make some people feel self conscious and unattractive.

Our section on sexuality and cancer| looks at the effects cancer and its treatment can have on sexuality and fertility. It also suggests ways to keep love and sex alive during this difficult time.

Talking about your feelings with your partner, family or a close friend can help to clarify your thoughts and give the people close to you the chance to understand how you are feeling.

If it would be easier to talk to someone outside your immediate friends and family, you may find it helpful to talk to your doctor, nurse, social worker or a trained counsellor|.

Our cancer support specialists| can discuss these issues with you and can give information on how to contact a counsellor in your area.