Parental influences on sperm banking attempts among adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the influence of parental sociodemographic, communication, and psychological factors on sperm collection attempts among at-risk adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer.

DESIGN

Prospective, single group, observational study design.

SETTING

Pediatric oncology centers.

PATIENT(S): Parents (N = 144) of 122 newly diagnosed adolescent males at increased risk for infertility secondary to cancer therapy.

INTERVENTION(S): Survey-based assessment of parent factors associated with adolescent collection attempts.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Attempt of manual collection of sperm.

RESULT(S): Parental recommendation to bank sperm (odds ratio [OR] 3.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-11.76) and perceived self-efficacy to facilitate banking (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.02-1.41) were associated with an increased likelihood of making a collection attempt.

CONCLUSION(S): Parental recommendation to bank is a critical influence for sperm banking among adolescent males newly diagnosed with cancer. These findings highlight the importance of effective communication between parents, patients, and health-care teams when discussing preservation options. Parent perceptions of their ability to facilitate sperm banking at the time of diagnosis should also be targeted in future interventions.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01152268.