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Possible Treatment Effects
Possible effects on spermSperm is made and stored in the testes. Sperm production begins at the onset of puberty and continues throughout the person’s life, although the amount and quality of sperm can naturally decrease with age. Cancer treatment can cause:
Fertility
People in the YA age group can be in many different stages of life. You may have children; you may want children in the future; you may not want children now, but may change your mind; or you may not have given it much thought at all. Cancer treatment can affect fertility in both women and men making it difficult to conceive a child in the future. A cancer diagnosis may require you to think seriously about children.
Not all cancer treatments affect fertility. Your risk depends on several factors, including
Childhood Blood Cancer
Hearing that your child has cancer is terrifying. Today, however, most childhood blood cancer patients can expect to have full and productive lives. Thanks to new and improved therapies, survival rates for childhood blood cancer have improved significantly over the past several decades. In addition, doctors, nurses and researchers continue to search for the causes of childhood leukemia and lymphoma to develop even better treatments and tailor therapies to decrease toxic side effects.
#TILTCANCER - Start Your Charity Stream Today
#TiltCancer is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s gaming & esports program. Join us and our community of content creators by creating a Livestream fundraiser, sign up for our video game fundraising events or become a #TiltCancer ambassador.
Lauren
It was last July, and I was just a regular Jersey girl. I was a 41-year-old wife, mother of two, physical therapist assistant just living a regular, normal life, or so I thought. I was just returning from a vacation in Puerto Rico, celebrating my brother's 50th birthday, when I fainted on the plane and had to have an emergency visit upon landing.
Lindsey
On Monday, February 8, I found out that I was pregnant. It was very early, but there it was two lines. On Wednesday, February 10, I told my parents and mother-in-law, and we were all so excited, so excited that on Saturday, just for fun, we went to BuyBuy Baby. On Sunday, February 14, I went to a nice Valentine’s dinner with Ethan, and when we got home, I noticed a tiny drop of blood on my underwear. By Tuesday, I called the doctor because I was still spotting, but everything else was fine, and it wasn’t a lot.
Daniel
My son was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in 1992 at 7 years old. Needless to say, it was a devastating blow to our family, and we were so scared! I had just gone through cancer illnesses with two other members of my family and knew how this diagnosis went. But my son, I never thought in a million years!
Bob
It has been five years since Bob had his stem cell transplant to get him remission from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but his journey started over seven years ago when he was first diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
Jim
Stay focused, stay positive, live as life as normally as you did before diagnosis, and do your best.
Charity
In March of 2021, I was diagnosed officially with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after a blood test and bone marrow biopsy. I had just turned 30 and had my first child in August 2020. My OB/GYN noticed that my platelet and white blood cell counts were way out of the normal range and referred me to a hematologist. I did not go, thinking it is just the stress of my body carrying a baby. After I had my son, I began feeling really bad. I had no energy and had the feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong.
Kennetha
I found out about The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) through a peer at Brockport College where I attend the Healthcare Administration BSN program. My peer had many great things to say about LLS and was excited to be a volunteer intern. I'm grateful that I was given the opportunity to reach out to those who experience the life-changing event of having blood cancer and can provide them with the resources and support that LLS offers. I love volunteering for LLS because it helps me fulfill my passion for caring for others and making a difference in people's lives.
Paul
I have had the opportunity to know Paul since he was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma (BL). Paul has an energy that makes it so you will like him instantly and this is exactly what happened. I have had my share of patient's lose their battle over the years so I am very cautious now of who I allow in my bubble. I am certain that even if I had not allowed Paul and his wife Carrie into mine they would have found a way in anyhow. Paul sailed thru R-Chop like a champ. I introduced The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the work that you do for the Cohen's at this time.
Eva
In 2014, as a 19-year-old sophomore in college, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). After two years of suffering from a mystery illness, I finally had answers; my itchy feet, night sweats, frequent infections, and shooting pain all snapped into place with a cancer diagnosis. I called all of my closest friends and packed my bags. I’d moved 3,000 miles for college, and traveled all the way back home — Los Angeles to Boston — for treatment. Next up would be six months of ABVD chemotherapy, known to be very effective and very unpleasant.
Carolyn
In November 2014, my daughter Valerie was born. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection by my doctor and received 3 rounds of antibiotics because it just wasn’t going away. Life was hectic as I learned to care for my newborn and I was getting into a new routine. Some of my lymph nodes became swollen. I was having night sweats. I developed a rash and high fevers.
Robert
I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in February 2021 after a bone marrow biopsy. Since that time, over the past 2½ years, I have had very serious side effects from my chemotherapy medication treatments. I was first prescribed Gleevec® 400 mg in March 2021, my first tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). However, this medication put me in the hospital at the end of March 2021. I had an angiogram to check my heart as I had five stents in my heart in September 2018. I had very severe fatigue and very serious malaise.
Randall
I am a 36-year survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). In 1987, I went through six months of chemo, had one month off, then went through 25 straight days of radiation. It is an amazing story, one which I may write about when I retire in about 12-16 months.
My son wasn't even two yet when I started treatments. Today he is 38 and has the two cutest, little girls a “Poppop” could ask for. After the chemo, they told me there was a 70% chance I'd be sterile from the treatment. We found out my wife was pregnant in December 1989. My daughter was born in August 1990.
Kristen
In the fall of 2012, Kristen Comer noticed her energy level wasn't as high as it had been, but she thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until the fall of 2013 when she had unidentifiable bruises on her body and no change in her energy levels, that her general practitioner drew labs to determine a diagnosis. After three panels of blood work, Kristen was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) on December 31, 2013.
Jim
In September of 2017, my wife and I were in New Jersey with family celebrating Labor Day weekend when I passed out, fell and hit my head on a granite counter top. I received a nice shiner, and the next day we decided that it would be a good idea to go to the ER to have it looked at just in case. Weeks leading up to the fall, I was very tired and bruising pretty easy, but thought was worn down because I was helping my mom every chance I could after losing my dad that July.
Robert
Robert was like any other 16-month-old toddler back in October 2010. It was a Tuesday afternoon. He was our third child and had a spiking fever for about 36 hours that we could not get under control. We called the pediatrician's office to get him in ASAP.
The next morning he spiked another fever at 7 a.m., so I gave him a dose of Motrin to bring it down. We were in the doctor's office by 9:15 a.m. His fever was only 100.0 so the doctor checked him over and did a strep test, and said he would call us the next morning with the results.
Lisa
As a new graduate with a master’s degree in psychology, I, among many others, am applying to jobs out in the 'real world.' Recently, one of the job applications asked me to describe myself in three words. My answer consisted of adjectives such as determined, capable and diligent. The one word that best describes me though is one I did not say, and that is survivor.
Sonia
In an instant, my life changed. “You have chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). There is no cure but patients can live for several years.” These were the words I received a few years ago at the age of 39 with three small children. I have been on an educational journey of self-discovery, cancer research, and patient advocacy ever since.
Cathy
I had blood cancer and for that, I’m lucky. I’m not being facetious, I really believe I’m lucky. The doctors told me that Stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is highly treatable and this is the cancer to have if you’re going to get cancer. But that’s not the only reason why I’m lucky. The very first philanthropic effort that I did with my BFF was when we were 17 years old and allowed to donate blood. This is one of the first times I realized I was lucky. By giving blood I could give the gift of life. It’s something I also had in common with my husband who is an avid blood donor.
Ava
My name is Lori Timko and my first daughter Ava is an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survivor! It started in 2009 when she had become sick and the doctors discovered her blood counts were suppressed.