Young cancer patients may not get advice on having children

Young cancer patients may have been robbed of their chance to have children due to poor communication of fertility information, a charity has warned.

Young people often experience difficulties accessing fertility services or receiving information about the impact their treatment may have on their bodies, the Teenage Cancer Trust said.

Around 15% of young people with cancer have a high risk of future fertility problems due to the impact of treatment, the charity said.

However, its survey of 242 16 to 24-year-olds found that almost three in 10 (29%) young patients were not told about this, or what options were available for fertility preservation.

And 44% of those who did have a conversation about fertility with a health professional were not satisfied with the information they were given.

The charity also raised concerns over delays in diagnosis and access to mental health support in their response to the government’s “Advancing our health: Prevention in the 2020s” consultation.

Louise Soanes, director of services at the Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Teenagers and young adults who have lived through cancer have had so much taken away from them already. They should not lose the ability to start a family of their own too.”

The charity is calling for young people to be able to freeze their eggs or sperm – fully funded by the NHS.

It also wants officials to launch a public awareness campaign for rare and less common cancers, such as those experienced by young people.