Testicular cancer

Abstract

In testicular cancer epidemiology, the increasing recognition that germinal epithelial atrophy is the final common pathway in the development of this tumor has developed along with reports that elevated follicule-stimulating hormone levels at the time of diagnosis of first tumor correlate with risk of developing a second tumor. There is also evidence from experimental studies that atrophy is a complication of vasectomy, a recently reported risk factor. In the area of new diagnostic approaches, correlation of the rate of rise of tumor markers after orchiectomy in patients with metastases has defined a new risk factor for predicting drug-resistant disease. In the treatment of nonseminoma, it has been reported that use of adjuvant chemotherapy for stage I tumors with two courses of combination chemotherapy produces a relapse rate lower than that seen after surgical staging. For seminoma, chemotherapy results have improved, with nearly 100% of patients cured by combination regimens and 80% cured by single-agent carboplatin. This success is finally leading to questioning of the role of radiotherapy as adjuvant therapy for stage I tumors. A study using two courses of adjuvant carboplatin produced equivalent results and possibly less toxicity.