Effects of chemotherapy on testicular functions

Of 26 previously normospermic patients treated with MOPP (nitrogen mustard, vincristine, procarbazine and prenisone) for Hodgkin's disease, 22 had azoospermia, 2 had severe oligozoospermia below 0.1 times 10⁶ spermatozoa/ml, 2 had 5 times 10⁶ spermatozoa/ml. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) increased significantly in all but 2 patients, but the luteinizing hormone (LH) increase was not significant. Prolactin, testosterone and 17β-oestradiol levels were unmodified. Chemotherapy is widely used for malignant and non-malignant diseases, the various drugs having different levels of toxicity. In order to prevent male sterility as a result of chemotherapy, the physician must choose the therapeutic agents carefully and may recommend cryopreservation of the patient's semen prior to therapy. In addition, the minimize the hazards of chemotherapy, the testis may be cooled during drug infusion and the germinal epithelium may be put to rest by desensitization through a LH releasing hormone analog.