title: Testicular function in poor-risk nonseminomatous germ cell tumors treated with methotrexate, paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin combination chemotherapy.
abstract: Our objective was to investigate the impact of methotrexate, paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (M-TIP) on long-term fertility in poor-risk nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT). Thirty patients with poor-risk NSGCT (median age, 29 years; range, 17-62 years) were treated with methotrexate 250 mg/m(2) with folinic acid rescue (day 1) and paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) (day 1), followed by ifosfamide 1.2 g/m(2) and cisplatin 20 mg/m(2) (days 2-6). Treatment consisted of 4 cycles of M-TIP administered every 3 weeks. Twenty-one patients were continuously disease-free at a median follow-up of 5.3 years (range, 0.9-8.4 years). Sperm count and hormonal analyses were examined prechemotherapy (30 patients) and postchemotherapy (21 patients). Counts were classified as follows: lower than 1 x 10(6)/mL, azoospermia; 1-20 x 10(6)/mL, oligospermia (OS); higher than 20 x 10(6)/mL, normospermia (NS). Patients were followed for a median of 2.3 years (range, 0.9-3.8 years) postchemotherapy. The prechemotherapy median luteinizing hormone (LH) serum levels were slightly above the upper normal limit, whereas the serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T) were within the reference interval. Eleven (52.3%) patients had NS prechemotherapy. Among the patients with NS, 72.7% still had NS following chemotherapy. Overall, 17 of 21 (80.9%; 33.3% OS and 47.6% NS) patients had recovery of spermatogenesis after treatment. The median FSH serum levels were significantly elevated at least 1 year postchemotherapy when compared with the pretreatment levels. Eighteen months after the completion of chemotherapy the median FSH levels had returned to the reference limits. Serum LH and T levels were unaffected by chemotherapy. Prior to chemotherapy 4 of 30 patients had fathered 5 children. Since completion of chemotherapy, 5 patients have fathered 5 children. The majority of men with poor-risk germ cell tumors who were treated with the M-TIP regimen demonstrated recovery spermatogenesis after treatment, and Leydig cell function was unaffected.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Propaedeutic, Oncology Section, University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, Rimini 1, Haidari, Athens, Greece. pectasid@otenet.gr
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pectasides
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pectasides
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papaxoinis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skondra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerostathou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karageorgopoulou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kamposioras
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tountas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koumarianou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Psyrri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macheras
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Economopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide; D008727:Methotrexate