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Paternity wishes in long-term survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT. A study of the late effects working party of the EBMT

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 48, pages 878–879 (2013)Cite this article

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Advances in hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) technology and supportive care have led to improvements in long-term survival after HSCT.1 Long-term survivors aim to recover a normal health and social life.2, 3 Gonadal dysfunction with the absence of sperm production leading to definitive infertility is a common long-term sequela after HSCT. Fertility and paternity issues are frequent problems that long-term survivors and their respective partner face and it represents a challenge for the transplantation team. Several published studies have reported data on the rate of paternity after allogeneic HSCT,4, 5, 6, 7 however, these publications did not address patient attitudes and the wish of paternity after HSCT.

Recently, the Late Effects Working Party of the EBMT published a retrospective study on 224 male patients in whom sperm production after allogeneic HSCT was evaluated.8 This study provided information about potential male fertility after allogeneic HSCT. We report here, from the same cohort of patients, data on paternity before and after HSCT, as well as data regarding wishes for paternity. Participating centers reported for each patient specific information related to the number of fathered children before and after HSCT, the number of adopted children, methods for conception (assisted reproductive techniques versus natural) and availability of cryopreserved sperm collected before HSCT. Additional information on wishes for paternity was requested. Out of 224 patients, 195 (87%) were transplanted for a malignant hematological disease and 155 (69%) were transplanted before the year 2000. TBI (>7.5 Gy) was part of the conditioning in 146 (66%) patients, 44 (20%) were conditioned with BU-based regimen and 31 (14%) without TBI or BU. During the follow-up, 142/222 (64%) recipients presented with acute GVHD and 134/220 (61%) with chronic GVHD. In 7 patients data about paternity was missed, we based the present analysis thus on 217 patients. Data on wishes of paternity were provided by 145 patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

    A Rovó & A Tichelli

  2. King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    M Aljurf

  3. Ospedale San Martino, Genova, Italia

    S Chiodi, S Spinelli & M T van Lint

  4. Hammersmith hospital, London, UK

    N Salooja

  5. Gazi Universitesi Tip Fakültesi Hastanesi, Ankara, Turkey

    G Sucak

  6. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK

    A Hunter

  7. Hospital Amphang Jalan Mewah Utara Pandan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    T S Kim

  8. Paris VII Hospital Saint Louis Paris, Paris, France

    G Socié

  9. Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Genève, Switzerland

    J R Passweg

  10. Florence Nightingale Sisli Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey

    M Arat

  11. EBMT Study Office, AP-HP, UPMC Univ Paris, Paris, France

    M Badoglio

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  1. A Rovó
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  2. M Aljurf
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  5. N Salooja
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  8. T S Kim
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  9. G Socié
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  10. M T van Lint
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on behalf of the Late Effects Working Party of the EBMT

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Correspondence to A Rovó.

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Rovó, A., Aljurf, M., Chiodi, S. et al. Paternity wishes in long-term survivors after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT. A study of the late effects working party of the EBMT. Bone Marrow Transplant 48, 878–879 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2012.255

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