Fertility after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in childhood and adolescence

Abstract

Infertility is a major late effect in patients receiving haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of patients having fertility impairment after allogeneic HSCT in childhood/adolescence and to identify the potential risk factors. Treatment and fertility data of paediatric patients with malignant and non-malignant diseases treated with allogeneic HSCT between 2000 and 2005 were collected from seven European centres. Data were obtained for 138 female and 206 male patients after a median follow-up of 6 years (range 3-12). The patients' median age was 13 years (range 4-28) at the time of HSCT and 19 (range 12-35) years at the time of the enquiry. Seven children were born to the overall group, all at term and healthy. Fertility impairment was suspected in 69% males and 83% females. Start of treatment at age 13 years was a risk factor in females (odds ratio (OR) 4.7; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.5 to 14.9), whereas pre-pubertal therapy was a risk factor in males (OR 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2 to 0.8). The major treatment-related risk factors were BU in females (OR 47.4; 95% CI, 5.4 to 418.1) and TBI in males (OR 7.7; 95% CI, 2.3 to 25.4). In light of the significant proportion of HSCT patients reviewed with impaired fertility, fertility conservation procedures should be considered for all patients undergoing HSCT, particularly those receiving TBI or BU-based preparative regimens.