Preserving fertility in boys undergoing cancer treatment

Male Fertility Preservation Using Cryopreservation of Testicular Tissue Before Highly Gonadotoxic Cancer Treatment

Not applicable Interventional University Hospital, Geneva · NCT03180918

This study is testing a way to help young boys with cancer keep their ability to have children in the future by freezing their testicular tissue before treatment.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment100 (estimated)
Ages3 Months to 18 Years
SexMale
SponsorUniversity Hospital, Geneva Academic / other
Locations3 sites (Basel and 2 other locations)
Trial IDNCT03180918 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study focuses on preserving fertility in prepubertal boys who are at risk of infertility due to highly gonadotoxic cancer treatments. It involves the cryopreservation of testicular tissue through biopsy, allowing for the potential future restoration of fertility. The study also aims to create a database for clinical and biological follow-up data and establish a biobank for future research. It is a multicentric effort involving several hospitals in Switzerland.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates include prepubertal boys aged 3 months and older and peri-pubertal patients who have failed sperm cryopreservation and are at high risk of infertility.

Not a fit: Patients under the age of 3 months or those whose treatments are not highly gonadotoxic may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help preserve fertility for young boys facing cancer treatments, offering them hope for future parenthood.

How similar studies have performed: Other studies have explored fertility preservation in cancer patients, but this specific approach of testicular tissue cryopreservation in prepubertal boys is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Prepubertal patients aged 3 months and older
* Peri and pubertal patients after failure of sperm cryopreservation
* Patients presenting high risk of infertility because of gonadotoxic treatments (i.e high dose of alkylating agents, testicular irradiation, total body irradiation).
* Multidisciplinary team consensus in favour of proposition to cryopreserve testicular tissue

Exclusion Criteria:

* Patients under the age of 3 months
* Refusal of the patient and/or his parents
* Treatments that are not highly gonadotoxic

Where this trial is running

Basel and 2 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Childhood CancerFertility Disorders
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.