SPERM QUALITY IN HODGKINS-DISEASE VERSUS NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA

The study was conducted to determine the deleterious effect of lymphom a disease on spermatogenesis and to evaluate the possibility that the disease is mediated primarily by inherent mechanisms in Hodgkin's dise ase and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, A total of 89 patients with l ymphoma disease (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's) were referred for sperm preservation prior to adjuvant treatments. A comparison was made of pr e- and post-thaw sperm quality between lymphoma patients and healthy v olunteers who applied for sperm donation, This was followed by further assessment of the differences between patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in terms of sperm variables, clinical para meters and blood hormone concentrations, It was found that patients wi th lymphoma disease had significantly impaired pre-freeze and post-tha w sperm quality compared with that of healthy volunteers, Patients wit h non-Hodgkin's lymphoma had spermatozoa of higher quality than patien ts with Hodgkin's disease, No differences were found in the clinical o r hormonal parameters between these two groups, As expected, reduced t esticular size and abnormal testicular consistency were correlated wit h decreased sperm quality, The mere presence of cancer disease has It direct negative effect on spermatogenesis, which is probably not relat ed to incidental side-effects. A variable degree of impairment should be expected with different categories of cancer.