Disparities in Pre-Orchiectomy Sperm Cryopreservation Among Testicular Cancer Patients at a Public Safety Net Hospital and a Private Tertiary Care Center.

ABSTRACT Objective To compare pre-orchiectomy sperm cryopreservation use in testicular cancer patients at a private tertiary care academic center and an affiliated public safety-net hospital. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent radical orchiectomy for testicular cancer at a private tertiary-care hospital, which cared primarily for patients with private health insurance, and at a public “safety-net” facility, which cared for patients regardless of insurance status. Clinical and demographic predictors of cryopreservation use prior to orchiectomy were determined by chart review. Results A total of 201 patients formed the study cohort, 106 (53%) at the safety-net hospital and 95 (47%) at the private hospital. Safety net patients were more likely to be non-White (82% vs 15%, P Conclusion Among patients with testicular cancer, disparities exist in use of sperm cryopreservation between the private and safety-net settings. Barriers to the use of cryopreservation in the safety-net population should be sought and addressed.