Testicular cancer patients: considerations in long-term follow-up

Abstract

Over the past 30 years, testicular tumors have become the paradigm for a curable adult cancer. Numerous factors have contributed to this success, including the introduction of newer treatment approaches, such as cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy and curative retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Moreover, the last three decades have witnessed the evolution of newer diagnostic methods, improvements in staging, the evaluation of patient response, and the monitoring of relapse. These treatment successes have been accompanied by the emergence of the late effects of testicular cancer and its treatment, including second primary cancers, cardiovascular sequelae, the metabolic syndrome, gonadal toxicity, neurotoxicity, and pulmonary sequelae. An overview of these late effects and recommendations for patient follow-up are presented in this article.