Reproductive disorders and preservation of fertility in males with benign and malignant brain tumors

Brain tumors rank third in the incidence rate among cancer nosologies. However, improvement of neurosurgical treatment methods and the use of modern regimens of chemotherapy and radiotherapy have increased survival of patients with benign and malignant brain tumors. A significant proportion of patients with brain tumors are young people in the reproductive age who are interested in maintaining their fertility. Surgical removal of tumors, mainly in the hypothalamo-pituitary area as well as the use of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for malignant brain tumors of any localization may be complicated by hypogonadism and infertility. At present, a simple and reliable method of preserving male fertility is sperm cryopreservation. Neurosurgeons as well as oncolo-gists and radiologists should inform patients with brain tumors about a potential risk of hypogonadism and infertility after treatment and about opportunities of sperm cryopreservation, which increases the chances of having future genetic progeny. © 2019, Media Sphera Publishing Group. All rights reserved.