Post‐treatment Fertility in Patients with Testicular Cancer.: II. Influence of Cis‐platin‐based Combination Chemotherapy and of Retroperitoneal Surgery on Hormone and Sperm Cell Production

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Abstract
Active sperm production was observed in 20 of 35 patients with testicular cancer 1 yr after discontinuation of all treatment (retroperitoneal surgery only: 13; cis-platin-based chemotherapy (CVB) .+-. other treatment: 22). The percentage of patients who regained spermatogenesis increased slightly after a further 1-2 yr. Fourteen patients (of 121 under observation) impregnated their wives (after retroperitoneal surgery: 9; after CVB .+-. other therapy: 5). The individual serum FSH values correlated significantly with the results of sperm analysis: an FSH value .gtoreq. 20 iu/l indicated azoospermia in 8 of 12 patients, whereas only 5 of 30 patients with FSH levels .ltoreq. 12 iu/l were azoospermic. Serum testosterone and pituitary serum luteinizing hormone were virtually unaffected by the treatment. In conclusion, 1-3 yr after cis-platin-based multi-modality treatment for testicular cancer, 50-60% of patients have active spermatogenesis and fatherhood can be achieved by a significant number of them.