Long-term morbidity after infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy in young men with testicular cancer
Long-term morbidity was evaluated in 357 patients with testicular cancer who were treated by infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy between 1970 and 1982. Myelopathy developed in four patients, radiation osteomyelitis in one, and radiation hepatitis in another after treatment. Posttreatment gastrointestinal symptoms were recorded in the medical records of 4% of patients but were mentioned by 41% of 199 who answered a questionnaire. The moderate gastrointestinal problems were recorded by 17% of the patients compared with 6% in a control group of healthy men. Postirradiation peptic ulcer occurred in 9%. A dose relationship existed, the risk of posttreatment gastrointestinal problems being less when the midplane dose was less than 40 Gy. Forty-one of 63 men who wished to do so fathered at least one child after their radiotherapy. The overall posttreatment quality of life was comparable to that of the control group. The authors conclude that the risk of major posttreatment morbidity is minimal for testicular cancer patients who undergo infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy after orchiectomy. Slight gastrointestinal symptoms are relatively common without major impact on quality of life. Gonadal toxicity is not a significant complication. Infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy is a safe, routine adjuvant treatment of seminoma in orchiectomized patients with Stage I seminoma. The midplane dose should not exceed 36 Gy in these patients.
- Research Organization:
- Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo
- OSTI ID:
- 5596842
- Journal Information:
- Cancer (Philadelphia); (United States), Vol. 64:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
HEPATITIS
RADIOINDUCTION
NEOPLASMS
RADIOTHERAPY
OSTEOMYELITIS
SIDE EFFECTS
TESTES
ADOLESCENTS
ADULTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
FERTILITY
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
MALES
PATIENTS
AGE GROUPS
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BODY
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DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DISEASES
DISEASES
GONADS
MALE GENITALS
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOLOGY
SKELETAL DISEASES
THERAPY
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man
550603 - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-)