Semen quality of consecutive ejaculates from cancer patients for fertility preservation

Abstract

Objective: To study variations in semen parameters among cancer patients who visited a sperm banking clinic before undergoing cancer treatment.

Design: Retrospective, consecutive study.

Setting: University-based hospital.

Patient(s): Eighty-six patients, diagnosed with various cancers, undergoing multiple semen collections on 5 consecutive days, for fertility preservation, between 2004 and 2013.

Intervention(s): None.

Main outcome measures: Within- and between-subject coefficients of variation were estimated using a random-effects analysis of variance to assess the consistency of semen parameters (volume, sperm concentration, motility, rapid motility, total motile sperm count, and computer-based sperm parameters), whereas intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess the size of the between-component of variance relative to the total component of variance.

Result(s): When analyzing semen parameters over a maximum of 5 consecutive days, only the semen volume was significantly reduced in day-1 and -3 samples compared with the first sample. Almost all of the parameters showed high ICC values, suggesting that within-subject fluctuations were small relative to the between-subject variability. The highest ICC values were noted in volume (ICC 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.52-0.89), followed by total motile count (ICC 0.71; 95% CI 0.30-0.89); the least consistent measure was wobble (ICC 0.14; 95% CI -0.13, 0.51).

Conclusion(s): Repeated ejaculates from cancer patients did not show substantial variation in semen quality.

Keywords: Sperm banking; fertility preservation; intraclass correlation coefficients; semen analysis; within-subject coefficients of variation.