Fertility Preservation in Childhood Cancer

Today, more children are surviving cancer and living full lives. Some cancer treatments, however, can affect a patient’s ability to have their own children. At Phoenix Children’s, our fertility preservation team helps you or your child understand the risk and explore options to protect the ability to have biological children in the future. Whether facing a cancer diagnosis or another condition that could affect fertility down the road, our team is here to help protect the available choices for building a family one day.

We are the only program in the Southwest offering the full range of fertility preservation services for patients of every age. Our multidisciplinary team has specialized pediatric expertise to guide your family through decisions that may feel challenging.

We understand that having a child diagnosed with cancer is an overwhelming experience with many new people to meet and countless new things to understand. We want to make sure that, in the midst of all the other information you are receiving, you have the opportunity to understand how the treatments your child will receive may impact their ability to have children, and what options may exist now to help protect their future fertility.

How Can Cancer Treatment Affect Fertility?

Cancer treatments today are more targeted and effective than in years past. But surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, as well as Bone Marrow Transplants, can all affect future fertility. Some cancers and cancer treatments can also directly affect the organs involved in fertility, which may make it harder to have biological children in the future.

Depending on your child's diagnosis and treatment plan, we offer thorough counseling with a trained physician as well as coordination with other specialists to:

Help you or your family plan ahead to store sperm, eggs or reproductive tissue for future use
Reposition your child’s reproductive organs out of the treatment field
Shield your child’s reproductive organs from radiation

Innovation Through Clinical Research

Our team actively participates in research to expand the treatment options available to our pediatric patients. We offer two reproductive tissue freezing research studies that are reviewed and approved by our Institutional Review Board (IRB), In addition, we’re also preparing to launch a multicenter trial to study long-term outcomes for children who undergo these procedures at other institutions around the country. This research helps us and other pediatric programs learn more about fertility after childhood cancer and improve care for future patients.

Why Choose Us?

The only full-spectrum program in the Southwest. We are the only program in Arizona and the broader Southwest region offering the complete range of fertility preservation options for patients of every age, from infancy through young adulthood. Your child's plan may include egg, ovarian or testicular tissue freezing (cryopreservation) or sperm banking, depending on their age, diagnosis, and treatment plan.
Innovative treatment through active research. Many of our options, including ovarian and testicular tissue freezing, are offered through IRB-approved research studies and are not widely available elsewhere. Our team is preparing a multicenter trial to study long-term outcomes that will help pediatric programs across the country better support childhood cancer survivors for years to come.
A family-centered approach. We know this can be a sensitive topic at an already difficult time. We provide information about your child’s options without telling you which choice to make. We tailor the conversation to your child’s age and include them in decisions whenever appropriate and offer Mental Health support if needed to support the entire family through this process.
Experienced pediatric specialists. Our team holds leadership roles in the Oncofertility Consortium, a national fertility navigator network. We've also authored research publications and presented at national and international conferences. That means your child benefits from the latest advances in fertility preservation, informed by the newest research and best practices from across the country.