News

Article

Heal

Summer 2018
Volume1
Issue 1

Testicular Cancer Survivors at Risk of Late Effects of Chemotherapy

Author(s):

Key Takeaways

  • Platinum-based chemotherapy for testicular cancer can cause long-term side effects, including obesity, sensory neuropathy, tinnitus, and hearing damage.
  • Only about 5% of patients experience no negative health effects post-treatment, highlighting the prevalence of late effects.
SHOW MORE

“Since effective cisplatin-based chemotherapy was introduced in the 1970s, the overall age-adjusted five-year relative survival rate is 95 percent, and survivors remain at risk for decades for the late effects of cancer and its treatment,” the study authors wrote.

TREATMENT-RELATED SIDE EFFECTS — even after many years — can be a concern for men who receieved platinum-based chemotherapy for testicular cancer.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology involved 1,214 survivors who were age 55 or younger at diagnosis and had been finished with first-line chemotherapy for at least a year. The participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire and underwent a physical examination, which revealed the most common negative health outcomes following treatment: obesity, sensory neuropathy, tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and hearing damage. About 5 percent of patients experienced no negative health effects.

The researchers also found that late effects can occur in clusters — for instance, hearing loss or damage and tinnitus; hypertension and diabetes; cardiovascular and related conditions; thyroid disease and erectile dysfunction; and depression or anxiety and diminished functional activity of the gonads.

“Since effective cisplatin-based chemotherapy was introduced in the 1970s, the overall age-adjusted five-year relative survival rate is 95 percent, and survivors remain at risk for decades for the late effects of cancer and its treatment,” the study authors wrote.

Newsletter

Stay up to date on cancer updates, research and education

Related Videos
Image of man
Image of smiling doctor.
Dr. Emre Yekedüz highlighted strategies that may improve patients' quality of life and mitigate treatment-related side effects in renal cell carcinoma.
Dr. Guru Sonpavde emphasized the importance of better understanding how genetic mutations influence the treatment of cancer care, particularly GU cancers.
Dr. Park sat down for an interview with CURE® to discuss the key takeaways from the 2025 Annual ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.
Image of man with black hair.
Image of bald man.
Image of a man wearing a black suit and tie.
Image of a man with rectangular glasses and a goatee.
Image of a woman with a brown hair tied into a bun.
Related Content