Fertility and sexual function following orchiectomy and 2 cycles of chemotherapy for stage I high risk nonseminomatous germ cell cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We investigate fertility and sexual function in patients following orchiectomy and adjuvant cisplatin based chemotherapy for high risk, stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumor of the testis.


METHODS
Between 1985 and 1994, 59 patients with stage I nonseminomatous germ cell tumor and poor prognostic factors were treated with 2 cycles of cisplatin, vinblastine and bleomycin, or bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin after orchiectomy. At least 32 months following treatment all patients were contacted and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding fertility and sexual activity, and to volunteer for a semen and hormonal analysis.


RESULTS
Of the 59 patients 49 (83%) completed the questionnaire. Before chemotherapy 18 (37%) patients had fathered children, 6 (12%) were involuntarily childless and none had a major sexual dysfunction. After treatment 11 (22%) patients fathered children, and 5 (10%) were involuntarily childless, with 4 involuntarily childless before chemotherapy. There were no significant alterations in sexual function. Semen analysis in 27 patients was normal in 23, and revealed mild oligospermia in 2 and azoospermia in 2. In 18 patients with hormone analysis median values for luteinizing hormone and free testosterone were normal but median value for follicle-stimulating hormone was slightly increased.


CONCLUSIONS
Two cycles of cisplatin based adjuvant chemotherapy do not seem to affect adversely fertility or sexual activity.
Böhlen
D
D
Department of Urology, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
Burkhard
F C
FC
Mills
R
R
Sonntag
R W
RW
Studer
U E
UE
D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018237:Germinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*