Radiotherapy can cause fertility problems

Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and some surgery can cause infertility as a side-effect.

But doctors said patients were being denied treatment because of a lack of national policy on funding services, such as sperm and embryo storage.

Health managers said the NHS did its best to meet local need, but had finite resources and had to prioritise care.

Common cancers

About 11,000 people aged between 15 and 40 are diagnosed with cancer every year - about 4% of the total number of cancer patients.

It is unacceptable that access to fertility services for cancer patients is dependent on where you live Joanne Rule, of Cancerbackup 'I was given no help'

The most common cancers in this group include breast, cervical, leukaemia and testicular cancer.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which advises the NHS on treatment, said that cancer patients should be given universal access to sperm, egg and embryo storage.

But the report from the three royal colleges said many patients were missing out because of the lack of unified national policy.

It recommended sperm and embryo storage be available to all patients who need it.

A poll of over 150 doctors found that just over a third of doctors were aware of local services, such as embryo storage facilities.

The report said that more complicated procedures such as egg freezing and removal of ovary tissue, which are still at the early stages of development, should also be made more widely available.

Discussion

And it called for doctors to ensure that they discuss with patients the possible infertility problems linked to treatment.

Dr Ben Mead, chair of the working party, said: "It is time for action nationally to deal with this distressing problem."

A separate survey by the Cancerbackup charity of primary care trusts (PCTs), which are responsible for commissioning services, also highlighted problems with the provision of services.

The poll of 84 of the 152 PCTs found nearly a fifth did not fund sperm storage for cancer patients. In some areas the figure was as high as 40%.

Only half of the PCTs surveyed said that they funded embryo storage.

Cancerbackup chief executive Joanne Rule said: "It is unacceptable that access to fertility services for cancer patients is dependent on where you live."

The Teenage Cancer Trust said all cancer patients who were capable of having children should be informed before their treatment starts about fertility options - and the potential negative effects of treatment.

The trust recommends that all patients should be given access to professional counselling and fertility preservation services.

David Stout, of the NHS Confederation, which represents health managers, said trusts worked hard to meet local need in a system with finite resources.

But he added: "When faced with a number of competing issues and guidance, PCTs are charged with making difficult decisions on priorities based on local need."

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We recognise how important it is for cancer patients to be assured that all possible steps will be taken to preserve their ability to have children.