Center for Fertility and Reproductive Health, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2013 Jul;22(4):440-9. doi: 10.1111/ecc.12045. Epub 2013 Feb 4.
The purpose of this study was to survey the current state of oncology sperm banking services provided by fertility clinics across Canada. A total of 78 Canadian fertility facilities were invited to complete a questionnaire related to the availability, accessibility, affordability and utilisation of sperm banking services for cancer patients. The total response rate was 59%, with 20 (69%) in vitro fertilisation clinics and 26 (53%) other fertility centres returning the survey. A total of 24 responding facilities accepted oncology sperm banking referrals. The time frame to book the first banking appointment for 19 (79%) facilities was within 2 days. Inconsistent practice was found regarding the consent process for cancer patients who are of minority age. Eight (33%) facilities did not provide any subsidy and charged a standard banking fee regardless of patients' financial situations. Overall, the utilisation of oncology sperm banking services was low despite its availability and established efficacy, suggesting that Canadian cancer patients are notably underserved. The study has highlighted some important issues for further consideration in improving access to sperm banking services for cancer patients, especially for adolescents. Better collaboration between oncology and reproductive medicine to target healthcare providers would help to improve sperm banking rates.
本研究旨在调查加拿大各地生育诊所提供的肿瘤男性生育力保存服务的现状。共邀请了 78 家加拿大生育机构完成了一份与癌症患者的精子库服务的可用性、可及性、可负担性和利用率相关的问卷。总回复率为 59%，其中 20 家（69%）体外受精诊所和 26 家（53%）其他生育中心返回了调查。共有 24 家有回应的机构接受肿瘤男性生育力保存转介。19 家（79%）机构预约首次银行预约的时间框架在 2 天内。对于未成年的癌症患者，在同意程序方面存在不一致的做法。8 家（33%）机构不提供任何补贴，无论患者的财务状况如何，都收取标准的银行费用。尽管肿瘤男性生育力保存服务具有可用性和既定疗效，但总体利用率较低，这表明加拿大癌症患者的服务明显不足。该研究强调了一些重要问题，需要进一步考虑，以改善癌症患者获得精子库服务的机会，特别是青少年。肿瘤学和生殖医学之间更好的合作，以针对医疗保健提供者，将有助于提高精子库的利用率。
