Evaluation of Reported Fertility Preservation Counseling Before Chemotherapy Using the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Survey

IMPORTANCE

The opportunity to discuss fertility preservation is essential for patients of reproductive age with newly diagnosed cancer before the initiation of treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors associated with fertility preservation counseling among patients of reproductive age before initiating chemotherapy.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study used data obtained from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Oncology Practice Initiative, an oncologist-led quality assessment program that surveys approximately 400 oncology practices biannually, from January, 2015, to June, 2019.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was whether reproductive risks were discussed before initiation of chemotherapy. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with fertility preservation counseling, controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, cancer type, year of study, region, clinic type (academic vs private), annual clinic volume, and rates of insurance coverage.

RESULTS

Among the 6976 patients of reproductive age (3571 men [51%]; mean (SD) age, 42.5 [7.1] years), with reproductive age ranging from 18 to 40 years for 3405 women and from 18 to 50 years for 3571 men, clinics reported that 3036 of 6976 patients (44%) received counseling regarding the risk of infertility associated with chemotherapy. Women were more likely to be informed (1912 of 3405 [56%]) compared with men (1126 of 3571 [32%]) (P < .001). Factors associated with reduced likelihood of fertility risk discussion included male sex (odds ratio [OR], 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60-0.90), increasing age (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.92-0.94), private practice setting (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.93), and lack of multidisciplinary team planning (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.41-0.70). Factors associated with increased likelihood of fertility risk discussion included having breast cancer (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.12-1.73) and lymphatic or hematopoietic cancers (OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.33-2.40), participating in each subsequent study year (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.08-1.24), receiving care in an academic clinic (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.05-2.01), and being a practice offering clinical trial enrollment (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.13-2.29). States with legislatively mandated coverage of fertility preservation had significantly higher rates of fertility risk discussion compared with states without legislation (48.6% vs 39.6%, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The findings suggest that clinicians are more likely to counsel younger patients and female patients about reproductive risks before initiation of chemotherapy. State laws mandating fertility preservation coverage may be associated with improved frequency of fertility counseling before chemotherapy. Further awareness and implementation of ASCO guidelines appear to be needed to improve rates of fertility risk discussion and referrals to fertility specialists before chemotherapy.

Varicocele Repair Prior to Assisted Reproductive Technology: Patient Selection and Special Considerations

Clinical varicoceles are one of the most commonly identified physical exam abnormalities in men presenting with infertility. Clinical varicoceles can cause impaired spermatogenesis and surgical correction can improve semen parameters in select men. Increasingly, andrologists are performing varicocele repairs prior to intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to boost male fertility potential. In this review, we evaluated the available literature 1) to determine if varicocelectomy prior to IUI or assisted reproductive technologies proved to improve sperm production or pregnancy outcomes; and 2) to identify who may be the ideal candidate for pre-IUI/ART varicocelectomy. Overall, few studies have explored this topic and little can be concluded about the impact of varicocelectomy prior to IUI. The evidence, however, does support that correcting a clinical varicocele can increase pregnancy outcomes in couples who plan to pursue IVF or ICSI. When selecting patients for varicocelectomy prior to IUI or ART, clinicians should evaluate female age as improvement in semen parameters can take 6 months after varicocelectomy and this duration of time may be deleterious in cases of advanced maternal age when each cycle becomes increasingly important. Overall, the currently limited literature regarding clinical varicoceles correction demonstrates that pregnancy rates can be increased when comparing patients who have undergone varicocelectomy prior to ART with those who had clinical varicocele but did not undergo surgery.

The effect of sleep on men's health

Sleep has increasingly been found to play a role in the overall health of an individual, but sleep quality has also been decreasing with the invasion of technology into the bedroom, “always-on” lifestyles, and increasing demands on one’s time when awake. We have herein reviewed the literature to assess the impact of sleep on erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, hypogonadal symptoms, low testosterone, and male infertility. We find that erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, and hypogonadal symptoms all have a linear relationship with sleep, as worse symptoms occur with poorer sleep. Male infertility, interestingly, has an inverse U-shaped relation to sleep in which men with too little and too much sleep seem to be more at risk for infertility than those with 7–8 hours of sleep. Finally, the literature has not demonstrated a significant clinical relationship between hypogonadal symptoms or testosterone levels and sleep. Overall, a large number of men experience poor quality sleep. Given the impact that poor sleep can have on general health and men’s health, in particular, screening for poor sleep quality and recommending interventions to improve sleep are becoming imperative during clinical evaluation and treatment.

New frontiers in fertility preservation: a hypothesis on fertility optimization in men with hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism

Strategies exist that can mitigate the risk of causing iatrogenic infertility when men require testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). This article reviews the current medical therapies that preserve spermatogenesis when TRT is indicated. Furthermore, we highlight the re-emerging concept of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis reset in hypergonadotrophic, hypogonadal infertile men who are planning sperm retrieval procedures. Finally, we present our hypothesis for a novel protocol to optimize hypergonadotrophic hypogonadal men before sperm extraction surgeries hormonally.

The effect of tetrahydrocannabinol on testosterone among men in the United States: results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

PURPOSE

To determine the association between tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) use and testosterone (T) levels among men in the United States.

METHODS

Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from the years 2011-2016, we identified all men 18 years and older who answered the substance use questionnaire and underwent laboratory testing for T. Regular THC users were defined as those who use THC at least one time per month, every month for at least 1 year. Multivariable linear regressions controlling for confounders were then used to determine the relationship between THC use and T levels.

RESULTS

Among the 5146 men who met inclusion, 3027 endorsed using THC at least once in their life (ever-user). Nearly half of the THC ever-users (49.3%) were considered regular THC users. Multivariate analysis controlling for age, comorbidities, tobacco use, alcohol use, body mass index (BMI), exercise level, and race revealed a small but statistically significant increase in T among regular THC users at any measured level of use, compared to non-regular THC users (non-users). This increase was characterized by an inverse U-shaped trend with Regular THC users using two-three times per month demonstrating the greatest increase in T (+ 66.77 ng/dL) over non-users.

CONCLUSION

THC use is associated with small increases in testosterone. This increase in T appears to decline as THC use increases, but nevertheless, T is still higher with any amount of regular use when compared to T in non-users. Prospective work is needed to validate the observed increase and to better elucidate the mechanism of impact THC use has on T levels.

Neurogenic bladder is an independent risk factor for complications associated with inflatable penile prosthesis implantation

Men with neurogenic bladder (NGB) often have concomitant erectile dysfunction and may be considered for inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) placement. However, it is unclear if NGB is a risk factor for complications associated with IPP placement. The aim of this study is to compare surgical outcomes after IPP placement in a contemporary cohort of patients with NGB to that of a non-neurogenic control group. To accomplish this, consecutive records of patients who underwent IPP implantation between 2007 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with a known neurologic lesion and documented NGB by clinical or urodynamic criteria were compared with a non-neurogenic control group of men with erectile dysfunction. We found that patients in the NGB cohort were younger (median age 48 vs. 62 years, p < 0.001) and less likely to void spontaneously prior to surgery (3% vs. 97%, p < 0.001). The most common cause for NGB was spinal cord injury (46%). There was a 24.3% overall rate of complication (infection, erosion, or mechanical failure) in the NGB cohort compared with a 7.5% rate in the non-neurogenic control group (p = 0.001). On multivariate logistic regression modeling, NGB (OR 3.47; 95% CI 1.13-10.71; p = 0.03) was independently associated with risk of IPP complication. First time penile prosthesis was associated with lower risk of IPP complication (OR 0.25 95% CI 0.09-0.71; p = 0.01). In conclusion, patients with NGB are at increased risk for complications after IPP placement. Patients should be counseled accordingly, and all efforts should be made to stabilize bladder function prior to surgery.

The Prevalence of Y-chromosome Microdeletions in Oligozoospermic Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of European and North American Studies

CONTEXT

European and North American guidelines recommend Y-chromosome microdeletion (YCM) screening in azoospermic and oligozoospermic men with sperm concentrations of <5 million sperm/ml; however, numerous studies have suggested that YCMs are rare when sperm concentrations are >1 million sperm/ml.

OBJECTIVE

We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed European and North American studies to determine the prevalence of a complete YCM in oligozoospermic men with sperm concentrations of >0-1, >1-5, and >5-20 million sperm/ml, and to determine whether 1 or 5 million sperm/ml is the most appropriate sperm concentration threshold for YCM screening.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

A systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed for studies assessing the prevalence of a complete YCM in oligozoospermic men in European and North American studies.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Thirty-seven studies were identified during a systematic review (n = 12 492 oligozoospermic men). All complete YCMs in oligozoospermic men were AZFc microdeletions. Eighteen studies contained data conducive to meta-analysis (n = 10 866 men). Comparing the pooled estimated prevalence by sperm concentration, complete YCMs were significantly more common in men with sperm concentrations of >0-1 million sperm/ml (5.0% [95% confidence interval {CI}: 3.6-6.8%]) versus >1-5 million sperm/ml (0.8% [95% CI: 0.5-1.3%], p < 0.001). YCMs were similar in men with sperm concentrations of >1-5 and >5-20 million sperm/ml (0.8% [95% CI: 0.5-1.3%] vs 0.5% [95% CI: 0.2-0.9%], p = 0.14).

CONCLUSIONS

In Europe and North America, the majority of YCMs occur in men with sperm concentrations of ≤1 million sperm/ml, with <1% identified in men with >1 million sperm/ml. Male infertility guidelines for North America and Europe should reconsider the sperm concentration screening thresholds to recommend testing for YCMs only for men with sperm concentrations of <1 million sperm/ml.

PATIENT SUMMARY

Complete Y-chromosome microdeletions (YCMs) are rare in men with >1 million sperm/ml. Routine screening for YCMs should occur only if sperm concentration is ≤1 million sperm/ml.

Advanced paternal age does not affect embryo aneuploidy following blastocyst biopsy in egg donor cycles

PURPOSE

To study the impact of advanced paternal age on embryo aneuploidy.

METHODS

This is a multicenter international retrospective case series of couples undergoing assisted reproduction via in vitro fertilization using donor eggs to control for maternal factors and preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy via next-generation sequencing at Igenomix reproductive testing centers. The main outcome measure was the prevalence of embryo aneuploidy in egg donor cycles. Semen analysis data was retrieved for a small subset of the male patients.

RESULTS

Data from 1202 IVF/ICSI egg donor cycles using ejaculated sperm (total 6934 embryos) evaluated using PGT-A between January 2016 and April 2018 in a global population across all Igenomix centers were included. No significant association was identified between advancing paternal age and the prevalence of embryo aneuploidy overall and when analyzing for each chromosome. There was also no significant association between advancing paternal age and specific aneuploid conditions (monosomy, trisomy, partial deletion/duplication) for all chromosomes in the genome.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the largest study of its kind in an international patient population to evaluate the impact of advancing paternal age on embryo aneuploidy. We conclude there is no specific effect of paternal age on the prevalence of embryo aneuploidy in the context of embryo biopsies from egg donor cycles.

The risk of birth defects is not associated with semen parameters or mode of conception in offspring of men visiting a reproductive health clinic

STUDY QUESTION

What is the relationship between semen parameters and birth defect (BD) rates in offspring of men evaluated for infertility?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Among men undergoing infertility evaluation, there is no significant relationship between semen parameters and defect rates in live or still births, even when considering mode of conception.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Approximately 15% of couples have fertility difficulties, with up to a 50% male factor contribution. An increased risk of BDs exists in couples using ART, particularly IVF and ICSI, but it is unknown if this related to the ART procedures or an underlying male factor.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

To determine if the severity of male factor infertilty, as assessed via sperm quality and mode of conception, is associated with BD rates, we performed a retrospective cohort study. Fathers with semen analysis data in the Baylor College of Medicine Semen Database (BCMSD) were linked with their offspring using Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDFR) data between 1999 and 2009. In this 10-year period, a total of 1382 men were identified in linkage between the BCMSD and TBDFR. A total of 109 infants with and 2115 infants without BDs were identified.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

To determine the association between BDs and semen parameters, we used hierarchical linear modeling to determine odds ratios between BD rates, semen parameters, and mode of conception before and after adjustment for paternal, maternal and birth covariates. Semen parameters were stratified based on thresholds defined by the WHO fifth edition laboratory manual for the examination and processing of human semen.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

In total 4.9% of 2224 infants were identified with a BD. No statistically significant association was observed between BD rates and semen parameters, before or after adjustment for covariates. The association between sperm concentration and BDs demonstrated an odds ratio (OR) of 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 0.63-1.83); motility: OR 0.91 (0.52-2.22); and total motile count: OR 1.21 (0.70-2.08). Likewise, mode of conception, including infertility treatment and ART, did not affect BD rates (P > 0.05).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

BDs recorded in the TBDFR only include live born infants or still births after 20 weeks, our study did not evaluate the effect of impaired semen parameters on developmental defects prior to 20 weeks of gestation. With 109 BDs, our statistical analysis was powered to detect moderate differences associated with particular semen parameters. Additionally, data about mode of conception was not available for 1053 of 2224 births.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

BD rates are not associated with semen quality or mode of conception. The current study suggests that the severity of male factor infertility does not impact the rate of congenital anomalies. This information is important when counseling couples concerned about the relationship between impaired semen quality and BDs.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

Supported in part by the NIH Men's Reproductive Health Research (MRHR) K12 HD073917 (D.J.L.), the Multidisciplinary K12 Urologic Research (KURe) Career Development Program (D.J.L.), P01HD36289 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, NIH (D.J.L.), and by U01DD000494 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Title V Block Grant to the Texas Department of State Health Services. A.W.P. is a National Institutes of Health K08 Scholar supported by a Mentored Career Development Award (K08DK115835-01) from the from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. This work is also supported in part through a Urology Care Foundation Rising Stars in Urology Award (to A.W.P.) None of the authors has a conflict of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

Not applicable.

Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Peyronie's Disease

INTRODUCTION

Peyronie's disease is an acquired condition of the connective tissue of the penis that affects 0.5-20.3% of the male population and is marked by fibrotic plaques in the tunica albuginea. It can result in penile curvature/deviation, painful erections, and sexual dysfunction. Several treatment modalities have been proposed, with studies from the past decade investigating extracorporeal shockwave therapy's (ESWT) potential efficacy in Peyronie's management.

AIMS

To investigate the effects of ESWT on Peyronie's disease parameters such as penile curvature, plaque size, erectile function, and penile pain.

METHODS

We reviewed the literature examining the effects of ESWT on Peyronie's disease.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome measures after receiving extracoporeal shockwave therapy included changes in degree of penile curvature, penile plaque size, International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaire score, and visual analogue scale score.

RESULTS

Randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of ESWT in Peyronie's disease do not show a statistically significant benefit in curvature reduction, plaque size, or erectile function, although a recent meta-analysis demonstrates a benefit in plaque size reduction. A statistically significant reduction in penile pain has been observed across multiple studies.

CONCLUSION

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy may be beneficial in the management of Peyronie's disease for refractory penile pain and plaque size reduction. However, penile pain typically resolves spontaneously over time, and shockwave therapy can pose a substantial financial burden to patients. A multi-institutional randomized controlled trial with standardization of methods and strict inclusion criteria regarding disease duration would prove beneficial in determining the true efficacy of shockwave therapy in Peyronie's disease. Krieger JR, Rizk PJ, Kohn TP, et al. Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Peyronie's Disease. Sex Med Rev 2019;7:499-507.

Shift Workers With Shift Work Disorder Have Worse Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between shift work or shift work disorder (SWD) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Nonstandard shift workers are defined as those working shifts outside of a normal 7 AM-6 PM work day.

METHODS

Men presenting to a single andrology clinic between July 2014 and June 2017 completed questionnaires that included questions about work schedules, shift work status, SWD[1][1], personal well-being via the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and LUTS (International Prostate Symptom Score [IPSS]). Men who had previously undergone prostate surgery were excluded. Shift work and SWD on IPSS was assessed via multivariate linear regression.

RESULTS

Of the 2571 men who completed all questionnaires, 619 (24.1%) reported working nonstandard shifts in the past month. Of these, 196 (31.7%) had high risk of SWD as determined by a questionnaire. When controlling for age, medications, surgical intervention for benign prostatic hyperplasia, comorbidities, and testosterone (T) levels, nonstandard shift work overall was not associated with worse LUTS (P = .82). However, nonstandard shift workers at high risk for SWD had IPSS scores that were clinically significantly higher (3.74 points ± 0.57 standard error) than nonstandard shift workers without SWD (P <.0001).

CONCLUSION

Nonstandard shift workers at high risk for SWD have worse LUTS than those without SWD. However, no association between nonstandard shift work and LUTS was found.