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Truly informed consent must include talking about future fertility ...

..."Advances in An understanding of the fertility implications of cancer and its treatment, alongside advances in assisted reproductive technology, should enable the medical profession to improve the quality of care and support that we provide to teenage and young adult cancer patients." The experts said that although issues of fertility should be discussed whenever possible with patients, there were a number of difficulties arising from the timing and nature of the discussions.

"We urgently need to research a number of issues in addition to those already mentioned," said Dr Glaser.

"Factors to be considered include the patient's physical, mental and social maturity, their vulnerability associated with a diagnosis of a life-threatening disease, and the potential for long-term reproductive problems arising from cancer and its therapy to impact on their self-esteem, relationships and other social interactions.

There are specific problems associated with sperm banking; for instance, consent forms that may be incomprehensible for adolescents and which raise the issue of what should happen to stored sperm if the patient should die � a frightening subject for any teenager to be confronted with.

"These are all highly emotive subjects that need to be handled with great sensitivity." Professor Sophie Foss�, an oncologist who speci...