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Testicular cancer

Gareth has survived

testicular cancer.

Now he’s at risk of developing

testosterone deficiency.

Gareth, aged 25

Gareth - cancer treatment
See me

Patient profile is fictional and for illustrative purposes only.

Prevalence and consequences

Testicular cancer and its treatment put patients at risk of developing testosterone deficiency (TD).1,2

~20%
of testicular cancer survivors experience TD
Increasing to almost 40% after receiving platinum-based chemotherapy
40%

TD could have long term consequences for testicular cancer survivors.3-9

Symptoms of TD are not just limited to erectile dysfunction or low libido.1,2 Patients can also suffer from metabolic syndrome and poor cardiac health.5-7

It is thought that TD and chemotherapy are the main contributing factors in the development of metabolic syndrome in testicular cancer patients.8,9

Find out more about the signs and symptoms of TD here.

Long term follow-up of testicular cancer survivors is essential

91% of testicular cancer patients now survive for 10 years or longer,10,11 and the symptoms of TD can present themselves up to 20 years post treatment for testicular cancer, due to platinum-based chemotherapy.12

20 years after treatment

With high levels of testicular cancer survival, effective follow up monitoring should be a priority,10,11 especially as classic symptoms of TD may not always be mentioned by men.

References

  1. Haugnes HS, Wethal T, Aass N, et al. Cardiovascular risk factors and morbidity in long-term survivors of testicular cancer: a 20-year follow-up study. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28(30):4649–4657.
  2. Abu Zaid M, Dinh PC, Monahan PO, et al. Adverse health outcomes in relationship to hypogonadism after chemotherapy: a multicenter study of testicular cancer survivors. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2019;17(5):459–468.
  3. Lunenfeld B, Mskhalaya G, Zitzmann M, et al. Recommendations on the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of hypogonadism in men. Aging Male. 2015;18(1):5–15.
  4. Khera M, Adaikan G, Buvat J, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of testosterone deficiency: recommendations from the fourth International Consultation for Sexual Medicine (ICSM 2015). J Sex Med. 2016;13(12):1787–1804.
  5. Zarotsky V, Huang MY, Carman W, et al. Systematic literature review of the risk factors, comorbidities, and consequences of hypogonadism in men. Andrology. 2014;(6):819–834.
  6. Sharma R, Oni OA, Gupta K, et al. Normalization of testosterone level is associated with reduced incidence of myocardial infarction and mortality in men. Eur Heart J. 2015;36(40):2706–2715.
  7. Zeller T, Schnabel RB, Appelbaum S, et al. Low testosterone levels are predictive for incident atrial fibrillation and ischaemic stroke in men, but protective in women – results from the FINRISK study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2018;25(11):1133–1139.
  8. IJpma I, Renken RJ, Gietema JA, et al. Taste and smell function in testicular cancer survivors treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy in relation to dietary intake, food preference, and body composition. Appetite. 2016;105:392–399.
  9. Westerink NL, Nuver J, Lefrandt JD, et al. Cancer treatment induced metabolic syndrome: Improving outcome with lifestyle. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2016;108:128–136.
  10. Cancer Research UK. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/testicular-cancer. Accessed April 2021.
  11. Steggink LC, van Beek AP, Boer H, et al. Insulin-like factor 3, luteinizing hormone and testosterone in testicular cancer patients: effects of β-hCG and cancer treatment. Andrology. 2019;7(4):441–448.
  12. Oldenburg J. Hypogonadism and fertility issues following primary treatment for testicular cancer. Urol Oncol. 2015;33(9):407–412.

TES/2020/009. April 2021.

Adverse event reporting

Adverse events should be reported. Reporting forms and information can be found at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. Adverse events should also be reported to Besins Healthcare (UK) Ltd Drug Safety on 0203 862 0920 or Email: pharmacovigilance@besins-healthcare.com

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