METHODS: Retrospective cohort study and review of the literature.
METHODS: Academic children\'s hospital.
METHODS: Boys diagnosed with cancer to whom sperm cryopreservation was offered before the start of gonadotoxic therapy.
METHODS: We studied the outcome of electroejaculation, including patient characteristics, hormone levels, and pretreatment semen parameters.
METHODS: Semen cryopreservation.
RESULTS: Pretreatment semen samples were obtained by masturbation in 106/114 boys with cancer, of which 78/106 were adequate for preservation. Electroejaculation was offered to 11 boys, of which three of 11 samples appeared adequate for preservation. Reviewing all reported electroejaculation cases in children with cancer in the literature, 13/29 (45%) cases were successful. Testosterone levels were higher in patients with successful sperm yield obtained by electroejaculation (median, 8.3 nmol/L [5.2-42.4] in successful harvests, vs. median 1.7 nmol/L [0.01-17.9] in unsuccessful harvests).
CONCLUSIONS: Semen cryopreservation should be offered to all pubertal boys diagnosed with cancer. If masturbation fails, electroejaculation can be considered as a useful option for semen cryopreservation and leads to adequate material for cryopreservation in about half of the cases.