Effects of antineoplastic treatment on sperm aneuploidy rate in patients with testicular tumor: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVE: The adjuvant radio/chemotherapy, usually employed after orchidectomy in patients with testicular tumors, allows a long-term survival with a consequent increased request for fertility. However, little is known about the effects of the anti-neoplastic treatment on sperm cytogenetic asset. Therefore, this prospective, longitudinal study was designed to evaluate the effects of radio- and/or chemotherapy on sperm chromosome. METHODS: Eleven patients with testicular tumor were enrolled and underwent sperm aneuploidy rate evaluation before and after 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months from radio- and/or chemo-therapy ending. A double and triple multicolor fluorescence in-situ hybridizations for chromosomes 8, 12, 18, X and Y were used to evaluate the sperm aneuploidy rate. To define normal sperm aneuploidy rate, 18 healthy, normozoospermic men were selected as controls. RESULTS: Before treatment, testicular tumor patients had a higher total sperm aneuploidy rate compared with normal men. Total sperm aneuploidy rate showed a slight, but statistically significant increase 6 months after anti-neoplastic treatment. This increase was mainly related to the high sperm aneuploidy rate found in 2 patients which remained elevated up to 12 months in both of them. CONCLUSION: These results showed that anti-neoplastic treatment caused only slight and transient sperm malsegregation events in patients with testicular tumor. However, since a subset of them had an elevated sperm aneuploidy rate for about 1 yr, we suggest to counsel them to refrain from fatherhood for this length of time.