Barriers to procreational intentions among cancer survivors 2 years after diagnosis: a French national cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the procreational intention rates among cancer survivors whose fertility was unimpaired and to identify the factors associated with their procreational intentions.

METHODS

Six thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven adult cancer patients treated between September and October 2002 were randomly selected from the French National Health Insurance Fund's Chronic Disease File. Of the 6957, 4270 responded to a cross-sectional questionnaire 2 years after diagnosis, of whom 959 reported being fertile and responded to a question about their procreational intentions.

RESULTS

Among the 257 male and female survivors aged 20-44, 86 (33.5%) had procreational intentions. After adjusting for age, gender, and already having children, only a high educational level (adjusted odds ratio: 3.1, 95% confidence interval 1.3-7.8) and stable or increasing financial resources (2.4, 1.0-5.7) were independently associated with the respondents' procreational intentions. Neither cancer stage at diagnosis nor the present stage significantly affected their plans in this respect.

CONCLUSIONS

Two years after cancer diagnosis, the reasons why some survivors who are still fertile have no parenthood projects were similar to those earlier given by members of the general population.