Incidence of fertility counseling of women of child-bearing age before treatment for colorectal cancer.

Background: The incidence of colorectal cancer in women of reproductive age is low. Physicians lack awareness of infertility difficulties in these patients. We studied the frequency of women of child-bearing age with colorectal cancer receiving pretreatment fertility counseling.

Methods: This retrospective review from 1996 to 2004 screened women of reproductive age treated for colorectal cancer for documentation of fertility counseling or referral to fertility specialists before initiating treatment.

Results: Twenty-one women met the age criteria (range, 18-45 y). Eight patients were excluded for prior sterilization procedures or tumor involvement of reproductive organs. In the 13 remaining women, 2 had pretreatment fertility counseling documentation. These 2 patients had fewer than 2 children and had rectal tumors. Thirty-eight percent had pregnancy or menses difficulty after treatment.

Conclusions: Few young women with colorectal cancer had pretreatment fertility counseling, whereas several had fertility complications posttreatment. Physicians need to discuss infertility concerns with their female colorectal cancer patients before intervention.