Magdalena Balcerek

• MD, PD Dr. med.
• Medical Doctor at Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin

Purpose This retrospective cohort study assessed semen and testicular tissue quality from adult and adolescent cancer patients who had samples cryopreserved in the Cryobank of Charité-Universitätsmedizin before and/or after cancer treatment. Methods and Materials Medical and cryopreservation data for all samples stored between 03/2004 and 05/2019...

Background Healthy behaviors are paramount in preventing long‐term adverse health outcomes in childhood, adolescent, and young adult (CAYA) cancer survivors. We systematically reviewed and synthesized existing literature on barriers, facilitators, and other factors associated with health behaviors in this population. Methods MEDLINE and PsycInfo w...

Purpose This study assesses fertility treatment outcomes in female patients who had undergone successful oocyte retrieval following cancer therapy. Methods Between January 2020 and December 2022, we collected fertility treatment data from six participating centres in Spain and Germany. All patients associated with this data had undergone successfu...

Current literature reveals no increased risk for adverse non-hereditary health outcomes in the offspring of childhood cancer survivors (CCS), yet survivors reported concerns regarding their offspring’s health. To investigate how the fear of cancer development in offspring influences parental behavior related to health and prevention, survey reports...

A possible negative consequence of cancer treatment is the fertility impairment of young cancer survivors. However, most former patients express the wish to have biological children. Fertility-preserving measures are available and are – under certain circumstances – financed by health insurance. Separate information at the time of diagnosis and dur...

Purpose Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk for increased morbidity and reduced quality of life associated with treatment-related late effects. In Germany, however, only a few of the more than 40,000 CCS registered in the German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR) currently benefit from adequate clinical long-term follow-up (LTFU) structures....

Purpose: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) are at risk for increased morbidity and reduced quality of life associated with treatment-related late effects. In Germany, however, only a few of the more than 40,000 CCS registered in the German Childhood Cancer Registry (GCCR) currently benefit from adequate clinical long-term follow-up (LTFU) structures...

Approximately 2200 children and adolescents below the age of 18 years are diagnosed with cancer in Germany every year. Due to the continuous further development and standardization of treatment, nowadays over 80% of those affected survive their disease in the long term. Due to the improved long-term survival, late sequelae are becoming increasingly...

Background: Both diagnosis and treatment of hemoglobinopathies have been associated with an increased risk of fertility impairment. German guidelines recommend annual monitoring of fertility parameters to enable early detection of fertility impairment and/or to offer fertility preservation (FP) when indicated. We explored the general desire for pa...

Purpose Using the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), we examined the educational and vocational pathways of two comparable, parental cohorts: childhood cancer survivors (CCS) and their siblings. Both cohorts had previously entered parenthood. The aim of the study was to elucidate whether childhood cancer and treatment affec...

Objective: To explore the characteristics of cancer patients who cryopreserved sperm/testicular tissue samples in the Cryobank of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin between 2004 and 2019, and the ART utilization rate with associated outcomes. Methods: Retrospective data were available for 506 cancer patients, of which 46 (9.1%) had used their sa...

Approximately 2200 children and adolescents below the age of 18 years are diagnosed with cancer in Germany every year. Due to the continuous further development and standardization of treatment, nowadays over 80% of those affected survive their disease in the long term. Due to the improved long-term survival, late sequelae are becoming increasingly...

CCS often wish to have biological children yet harbour concerns about fertility impairment, pregnancy risks and the general health risks of prospective offspring. To clarify these concerns, health outcomes in survivor offspring born following ART (n = 74, 4.5%) or after spontaneous conception (n = 1585) were assessed in our European offspring study...

Study question To explore practices of cryopreservation among male cancer patients and describe outcomes of fertility treatments with samples collected before and after cancer treatment. Summary answer Only 9.1% of cancer patients used their samples for fertility treatment (ART). Patients underwent ART mostly within the first two years and followi...

Study question To examine the influence of patient- and cancer treatment-related factors on the quality of semen and testicular tissue samples collected 2004-2019 in our centre. Summary answer Semen quality was reduced before cancer treatment in patients with a testicular or haematological malignancy and following any gonadotoxic-risk treatment wh...

Introduction Research on childhood cancer survivor offspring has been limited to genetic disease occurrence, malformations or non-hereditary cancers. However, previous surveys indicated that survivors harbor fears about their (prospective) children's overall health. Our Multicenter Offspring Study examined extensive health aspects in children born...

Objective Rising childhood cancer survival rates have increased the importance of health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessment. While survivors show comparable HRQL to peers, concerns that cancer treatment could impact the health of prospective children were reported. No previous publications address HRQL of childhood cancer survivor offspring....

PurposeAn increasing number of childhood cancer survivors are using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to overcome treatment-related fertility impairment. We report perinatal and health outcomes of offspring born to survivors following ART.Methods The FeCt Multicenter Offspring Study surveyed the health of offspring of childhood cancer surviv...

Background Survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer with a desire to have children may face fertility impairment due to the cancer itself or as a consequence of treatment.Objectives Prevalence and risk factors of fertility impairment were evaluated. Available fertility preserving treatments are discussed.Materials and methodsThe current literat...

Nearly all survivors of childhood cancer wish to have biological children in adulthood. Yet, cancer treatment may lead to a reduced fertile window and infertility. Especially due to possible organic late effects as a result of previous cancer treatment, survivors may be at additional risk for complications during pregnancy and labor. While generall...

This chapter describes prevalence and risk factors for fertility impairment and adequate fertility preservation in children and adolescents with cancer. As an increasing number of childhood cancer patients survive their disease, treatment-related late effects become more relevant. One-third of girls and boys diagnosed with cancer will suffer from i...

Objective As adolescent cancer patients may suffer from infertility following treatment, fertility counselling is essential. Our aim was to explore the current situation in four European countries in terms of (I) education about the risk for infertility, (II) counselling on fertility preservation, (III) patients' knowledge on fertility, (IV) suffic...

Background Immunisation levels and attendance of preventive screening examinations indicate primary health prevention awareness. We investigated participation among German childhood cancer survivors’ (CCS’) offspring in our national offspring study. Patients and methods CCS with biological children were surveyed on their offspring’s vaccination lev...

Purpose Within the framework of a questionnaire-based health survey in Germany, we examined ambulant health care utilisation among childhood cancer survivors’ offspring compared to utilisation among children of the general population. Methods In total, 1299 former patients received a questionnaire for every known biological child in two cross-sect...

Infertility is a relevant late-effect following cancer treatment; yet, a large proportion of survivors cannot recall having been informed of this risk. In an intervention study, we examined if and how supportive patient information material on fertility/fertility-preserving measures influences utilization of cryopreservation in adolescent cancer pa...

Purpose: Within a multicenter European study, we explored fertility-related wishes, concerns, and decision-making of adolescent cancer patients and their parents. Patients and Methods: Patients and parents were each asked to complete a fertility-related questionnaire 3 months after initial diagnosis. In total, 113 of 142 (79.6%) eligible patients...

Introduction/objectives: Fertility preservation is a major concern for adolescent cancer patients; yet, educational gaps remain. Our intervention study examined whether specially designed educational materials regarding fertility preservation increase knowledge and empowerment of patients and parents. Methods: Eleven paediatric-oncological centr...

Aim The aim of this official guideline published by the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) and coordinated with the German Society of Urology (DGU) and the German Society of Reproductive Medicine (DGRM) is to provide consensus-based recommendations, obtained by evaluating the relevant literature, on counseling and fertility preserva...

HintergrundDie Kinderwunscherfüllung kinderonkologischer Patienten kann aufgrund ihrer Erkrankung und deren Therapie im Erwachsenenalter eingeschränkt und mit Komplikationen verbunden sein. FragestellungPrävalenz von und Risikofaktoren für Fertilitätsstörungen, Schwangerschaftskomplikationen und Gesundheitsbeeinträchtigung der Nachkommen. Darstellu...

Due to improved survival rates for pediatric oncology patients, side and late effects of cancer treatment have gained increasing importance. One possible consequence of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is impairment of fertility including possible infertility. Various fertility preserving measures are available to fulfill the wish for an own child....

Childhood cancer survivors fear that previous therapy could not only impair their own but also their children's health. We examined whether health-related behaviour in children of childhood cancer survivors differs from the general population.Our first nationwide survey wave (2013-2014) surveyed offspring health in 396 German childhood cancer survi...

Background: Increased risk for infertility from cancer treatment and fear of health impairment in their offspring may prevent survivors of childhood cancer from having own children. Even though most studies report no increased risk for malformations, in our German fertility study 2008 a higher occurrence of cleft lip and palate was found in offspri...

Purpose Fertility impairment and recovery after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) have been reported in both sexes, but little is known about how they develop over time. Our aim was to describe the dynamics of fertility impairment and recovery after HSCT. Methods We retrieved treatment and fertility data for up to 12 years of 361 p...

Background: As survival rates of patients with childhood brain tumors have increased to 75%, treatment related side effects are of particular importance. The present study evaluated questionnaire-based fertility characteristics in cancer survivors treated with irradiation to the hypo­thalamic-pituitary-axis. Patients and Methods: A nationwide surv...

Improved treatment for childhood cancer has led to better survival rates of 83 % today. However, long-term side effects including infertility of pediatric patients receiving oncologic treatment remain unclear. We examined the association of chemotherapy and radiotherapy with infertility in survivors of pediatric cancer. A questionnaire on fertility...

With rising cure rates of childhood cancer, side effects of treatment are attracting increasing interest. The present analysis evaluates the influence of tumor localization, radiotherapy and chemotherapy on the age of menarche. 4,689 former pediatric oncology patients, diagnosed 1980-2004, were contacted in collaboration with the German Childhood C...

With improved cure rates of cancer in children and adolescents, the long-term effects of oncological treatment, including impaired fertility, have become an important clinical issue. In 2008, we conducted a nationwide survey in Germany in which we asked 4689 female and male patients who had been treated for cancer in childhood or adolescence for in...

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Hintergrund: Mit besseren Heilungsraten von Krebserkrankungen im Kindes-und Jugendalter gewinnen Langzeitfolgen onkologischer Therapien wie Fertili-tätsstörungen an Relevanz. Methoden: Im Rahmen einer bundesweiten Umfrage im Jahr 2008 wurden 4 689 volljährige, ehemalige pädiatrisch-onkologische Patientinnen und Patien-ten angeschrie...