Did storing testicular tissue as a child protect fertility? new study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT04202094
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study follows 50 young men who had cancer or blood disorders as children and received treatments that can harm fertility. Some stored testicular tissue before treatment; others did not. Researchers will check their fertility through exams, ultrasounds, blood tests, and semen samples to see how the treatments and the tissue storage affected their ability to have children.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could help doctors understand which childhood cancer treatments most affect future fertility and whether storing testicular tissue is worthwhile.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study, not a treatment trial. It only measures fertility outcomes and cannot prove that tissue storage preserves fertility. Results may take years and may not apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2020
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2030
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria * young adult men (≥18 years) * diagnosis of cancer or hematological disorder during childhood (\<18 years) * high-risk gonadotoxic treatment received during childhood * at least one year after the last received genotoxic treatment * did/did not undergo a testicular biopsy procedure at a young age for fertility preservation Exclusion criteria \- prepubertal patients and adolescents (\<18 years)
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
Brussels, 1090, Belgium
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