n INTRODUCTION When a child, adolescent, or young adult is diagnosed with cancer, they and their family face a number of overwhelming concerns. The survival rate for childhood cancer is now 80% (Lin et al., 2012), making quality of life after treatment an important consideration. All medications and treatments have the potential for short- and long-term side effects. For example, hair loss during treatment is a common short-term side effect; hair typically grows back after treatment is done. Long-term effects of cancer treat- ment may impact patients for the rest of their lives and may not develop until years after treatment is finished. Every form of treatment has different side effects, and a patient’s age, gender, treatment strategy, health prior to treatment, and previous treatments all play a role in determining whether a patient experiences a side effect, and the degree of the side effect. Your healthcare team will provide patients and families with education materials and information regarding the potential long- and short-term side effects of your child’s treatment. Many families are concerned that treatment may affect their child’s ability to have children as an adult, but most childhood cancer survivors will not have problems with infertility. For those patients who are at risk for infertility due to treatment, there may be options to save fertility. If possible, it is best to explore these options before treatment begins, though some options may be available even after treatment is completed. Sexual and reproductive health is an uncomfortable topic for many families. When thinking about saving your child’s fertility, your family should consider religious and cultural beliefs, financial considerations, and your child’s maturity level. This handbook is an information guide your family can use when discussing fertility issues with your oncology healthcare team or with a reproductive healthcare provider. This information may be helpful during or after treatment and as the cancer survivor grows into adult- hood. The doctors caring for children with cancer work hard to lessen the effects of treat- ment on a child’s normal growth and development; all children treated for cancer will respond differently to their treatment.
n NORMAL PUBERTY MALES
The testes are the primary reproductive organs in males and are responsible for producing hormones that help the body make sperm. Prior to puberty, the testes do not make hormones and sperm. When puberty begins, usually between the ages of
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