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QoL and Patients' Care

Fertility preservation practices in pediatric and adolescent cancer patients undergoing HSCT in Europe: a population-based survey

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 52, pages 1022–1028 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Chemotherapy and irradiation can affect the gonads, leading to impairment of pubertal development and/or infertility. Fertility preservation (FP) is therefore a crucial endeavor in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) because of the severe impact of infertility on the quality of life of long-term survivors. Despite the existence of different international guidelines, FP counseling and procedures are not routinely implemented as part of patient care. We present herein a survey conducted by the Pediatric Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), which aims to analyze and compare different FP practices for children and adolescents across EBMT centers in 2013. A total of 177 pediatric centers reporting to the EBMT were contacted; of this number, 38 centers (21%) located in 16 different countries responded. These centers reported 834 patients receiving HSCT in 2013 (73% prepubertal), corresponding to 22% of all children (n=3789) undergoing HSCT in EBMT reporting centers. Overall, 39% of the reported patients received counseling and 29% received an FP procedure. The increased need for FP programs, extended education for patient-care teams, and more personal resources and funding emerged from this survey as pivotal factors necessary to support and implement such programs.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all of the centers that participated in this survey. We also thank Andres M, Ansari M, Arola M, Arvidson J, Balduzzi A, Biasin E, Blecke M, Brester D, Burkhardt B, Cesaro S, Diaz M, Diaz de Heredia C, Dalle JH, Ferster A, Foell J, Hazar V, Jahnukainen K, Jarisch A, Kepak T, Keplova P, Kersting S, Kroiss S, Lätheenmäki P, Leversen M, Matthes S, Menconi M, Paillard C, Paolucci P, Pascual A, Plantaz D, Renard M, Schulz A, Stutz-Grunder E, Tinner E, Trigoso E, Vaitkeviciene G, Vettenranta J, Vettenranta K, Vora AJ, Williams J, and Yilmaz S for their substantial contributions to this research. This project was supported by the Susy Rückert Gedächtnisstiftung (Basel, Switzerland) and the Stiftung für Krebskranke Kinder, Regio Basiliensis (Basel, Switzerland).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Oncology/Hematology, University Children's Hospital Basel UKBB, Basel, Switzerland

    T Diesch & N von der Weid

  2. Department of Hematology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    A Rovo

  3. Division of Oncology/Hematology, HSCT Unit, Gaslini Research Institute G. Gaslini, Genova, Italy

    M Faraci

  4. Division of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Hospital of Padua, Padua, Italy

    M Pillon

  5. EBMT Pediatric Disease Working Party, Paris, France

    A Dalissier

  6. Pediatric Hematology Immunology, Robert Debre Hospital, Paris, France

    J-H Dalle

  7. Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Immunology, Hospital for Children and Adolescents of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany

    P Bader

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  1. T Diesch
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Correspondence to T Diesch.

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Diesch, T., Rovo, A., von der Weid, N. et al. Fertility preservation practices in pediatric and adolescent cancer patients undergoing HSCT in Europe: a population-based survey. Bone Marrow Transplant 52, 1022–1028 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2016.363

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