Is It Really Blood Cancer Treatment Makes Women Infertile?

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Medical Video: Fertility Options for Young Female Cancer Patients

Chemotherapy and radiation are the two types of blood cancer treatment that are most often relied upon to kill cancer cells. Although it can increase a patient's life expectancy, some of these cancer treatments also have side effects that you should pay attention to. One of the most feared side effects for female patients with blood cancer is fertility problems. So, is it true that cancer blood treatment can make women difficult to get pregnant? Here's the explanation.

Does the treatment of blood cancer affect women's fertility?

Blood cancer consists of the three most common types, namely leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. This type of cancer can be experienced by everyone at any age, especially if you have a hereditary immune system that can increase the risk of blood cancer.

Blood cancer treatment is needed to help fight cancer cells lodged in the patient's body, either through chemotherapy, radiation, or other cancer treatments. But in fact, each blood cancer treatment has side effects on fertility.

1. Chemotherapy

side effects of chemotherapy

Treatment of blood cancer in the form of chemotherapy can affect the fertility of women and men. In women, chemotherapy can reduce or even stop the ability of the ovary to produce eggs. This is also called ovarian failure which results in early menopause.

Fertility disorders due to chemotherapy usually depend on the dose of chemotherapy drugs given. Low-dose chemotherapy drugs given for weeks to months can reduce the fertility of patients more quickly, rather than giving high-dose chemotherapy drugs at one time.

Cancer drugs included in the group of alkylating agents are types of chemotherapy drugs that can reduce women's fertility. These drugs include:

  • Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
  • Ifosfamide (Ifex or Mitoxana)
  • Melphalan (Alkeran)
  • Busulfan (Myleran or Busulfex)
  • Procarbazine (Matulane)

Actually, there are still many side effects of chemotherapy that might appear. To find out more, you can find out in article 9 Effects that May Happen Due to Chemotherapy.

2. Radiation

Source: verywell health

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. After radiation therapy is completed, patients will usually be given a low-dose drug (fraction) that must be taken for weeks to help reduce radiation side effects.

Unfortunately, the combination of high-energy rays and long-term low-dose drugs can actually destroy some or even all of the ovaries in the ovary. As a result, female patients are at risk of being infertile and experiencing premature menopause.

Even though the radiation beam is not directed directly to the ovary, the light can still bounce in the body and risk endangering the ovary. To protect a woman's reproductive organs from fertility problems, doctors will usually "shift" the ovary so that it is not exposed to radiation.

3. Spinal cord graft

spinal cord transplant

If other blood cancer treatments do not help, blood cancer patients will be directed to undergo a spinal cord transplant as a last resort.

This method is done to replace the damaged bone marrow condition so that it can produce healthy blood cells. The hope, this can increase the patient's life expectancy and restore his health as usual.

Although the benefits are very large, this one blood cancer treatment can interfere with women's fertility. Because the spinal cord graft usually uses high-dose chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy throughout the body before the graft begins.

Quoted from the American Cancer Society, this can stop the ovulation process permanently, so that women become infertile and cannot have children forever.

How to maintain female fertility before undergoing blood cancer treatment

sex after chemotherapy

So that your fertility is not disturbed, you should first consult a doctor before undergoing blood cancer treatment. Especially for those of you who are planning a pregnant program and want to have children soon, ask first the type of cancer treatment that suits your needs.

There are several ways you can do to maintain women's fertility before and after undergoing blood cancer treatment, namely:

1. IVF

Do not be discouraged when convicted infertile due to treatment of blood cancer. The good news is that you still have the chance to get pregnant and have children through IVF.

However, this certainly requires careful planning that has been done long before cancer treatment begins. Immediately consult a doctor to find out the requirements for IVF that must be met.

2. Freezing of egg cells

Technological advances are called alias egg cell freezingoocyte cryopreservationallowing blood cancer patients to breathe more easily.

This technique is done by freezing and thawing the egg before it is inserted into the uterus. In this way, female patients undergoing blood cancer treatment still have the opportunity to have children even though they are convicted of infertility.

3. Freezing of ovarian tissue

The technique of freezing ovarian tissue is done by taking one or a portion of ovarian tissue before cancer treatment, then replanting it after the treatment is complete. This method can be one solution for female patients who want to have children after their cancer treatment is complete.

Is It Really Blood Cancer Treatment Makes Women Infertile?
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