Paternity in patients with testicular germ cell cancer: pretreatment and post-treatment findings.
Paternity before and after treatment was investigated in 177 patients with unilateral germ cell tumours of the testis. Before the cancer was diagnosed, 51% had fathered at least 1 child, 9% had a history of infertility and 40% had not wanted to have children. It was estimated that 72% of the patients would have fathered at least 1 child at the age of 40 years. After treatment 41 patients had wished to have children. Infertility was still a problem 5 years after the end of treatment in 53% of these men. No significant differences was observed between patients treated with orchiectomy alone and patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy or subdiaphragmatic irradiation. In 8 patients, infertility was present in spite of an evident recovery of spermatogenesis. Congenital malformations were recorded in 3.8% of the live-born children conceived before the orchiectomy. This incidence did not exceed the Danish national rate, the relative risk being 2.5 (95% confidence limits, 0.9-5.5). No malformations were observed in the 22 children conceived after ending treatment.
Hansen
P V
PV
Department of Oncology, Aalborg Municipal Hospital, Denmark.
Glavind
K
K
Panduro
J
J
Pedersen
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004407:Dysgerminoma / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013076:Sperm Count; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D013997:Time Factors