Dr Joseph Kamugisha Testicular cancer is comprised of the seminoma cancer type and non-seminoma cancer type. These cancers grow from germ cells that make sperms in the body. The incidence of testicular cancer is very low as compared to prostate cancer. While prostate cancer is common in males above the age of 50 years, testicular cancer can occur at any stage of life especially in the youth and adult population. There has also been low reported incidence of testicular cancer in African male population as compared to those in western world. Many young people in the western world have reported more cases in the uro-genital cancer clinics than has been seen in African settings. However, studies are underway to determine the precipitating factors and come up with the fundamental reason for this epidemiological difference. It is yet to be studied whether the incidence might be linked to genetic or environmental factors. Majority of men diagnosed with testicular cancer or other urinary and genital tract cancer condition get worried about their chances of survival. Such patients also suffer psychological stress about the effect of treatment on their reproductive health. It is well known that chemotherapy and Radiotherapy treatment modalities can damage sperms to cause infertility. The effect of drugs or treatment on the life of sperms or quality of their production depends on a number of factors. Such factors include the type of medications used, the dose of treatment and the length of the course of treatment. Some people undergo treatment without preservation but sperms are damaged during treatment. Toxicity from treatment affects or decrease sperm production. In some rare cases, sperm production can re-occur but this may take a long period of time after treatment. The use of donor sperms for pregnancy or adoption of children is no longer favorable for the majority of male population. This is the reason why scientists have come up with measures to ensure the safety of sperms. The alternative procedure is to store or bank sperms before patients start treatment. Individuals who have had no cryopreservation or those with sperms that have survived toxicity from treatment are usually worried about the possibility to produce children with deformities. Toxicity and damage from the treatment can bring about mutations in the sperm cell to cause the deformity in the off-spring. Recently, a client was blessed with a beautiful baby girl despite of a known testicular cancer condition that has been treated with conventional modality for over two-years. Like many other clients of the same condition. He underwent cryopreservation or freezing method for the sperms. In this method, Sperm samples are stored at very low temperatures and well-preserved in a protective substance. These cryopreservative substances help to prevent damage or alteration of sperm cell structure as well as dehydration. Frozen sperm cell can form crystals as has been seen in other compounds like ice but the cryopreservative protects the core structure of the sperm cell. It has become mandatory that physicians in urology clinics or uro-genital cancer clinics usually advise clients about the cryopreservation method. When sperm samples are stored before the start of treatment, then there is a realistic chance that health sperms could be used to obtain pregnancy with your partner in future. One of the major problems encountered in many health centers is that many patients present with advanced disease. Sometimes disease can damage or infect the sperms to make them inactive for future fertility or possess poor quality. In this situation, cryopreservation might not be successful.
