“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.
A Cancer Survivor's Love of Flying Propels a Passion for Volunteering
April 9th 2020In this episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with a testicular cancer survivor who is using his love of flying to give back to the community, including volunteering for Pilots N Paws, a nonprofit organization that assists in the transportation of rescue animals and animals in need of medical treatment.
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Live for Today: One Testicular Cancer Survivor's Journey to Advocacy
October 24th 2019In this episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Scott Petinga, who was diagnosed with and overtreated for his stage 1 testicular cancer, about his journey and how he now advocates for other patients.
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