Malignant testicular neoplasms in immunosuppressed patients.

Abstract

Testicular cancers were studied in patients on immunosuppression. A retrospective analysis was done of testicular cancer in patients on immunosuppression reported on between 1975 and 1995. The management schemes adopted in the immunosuppressed population followed the generally accepted management concepts. No patient with low stage (A to B1) disease died of testis cancer. Only 4 of 66 patients (6.1%) with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome died of testis cancer compared to 5 of 20 (25%) after transplantation, implying significantly higher cause specific mortality in post-transplant patients (Fisher's exact test, p < 0.01). The incidence of adverse effect of therapy did not differ from the expected incidence in other patients. Patients on immunosuppression with testicular neoplasms should be treated in the standard fashion as indicated by tumor histology and stage of disease, since most will tolerate therapy and benefit from the standard treatment protocols.