ASCO 2010 Highlights: Testicular Cancer

Context: Germ cell tumor is the most frequent malignant tumor type in young men, with a steep rise in incidence in recent years. The majority of patients with advanced disease will be cured, but there is a need to improve the outcome of poor-risk patients. For this patient category, and for patients who relapse following standard, first-line, cisplatin-based chemotherapy, the role of high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) is still a matter of debate. With cure rates > 90% in the whole group of testicular cancer patients, long-term morbidity has become increasingly important. Objective: Highlights of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2010 Annual Meeting pertinent to these key issues in the field of testicular cancer are discussed. Conclusions: The role of HDCT as first-line treatment of stage I seminoma in poor-prognosis patients or in second-line therapy as salvage treatment has not been established. The clinical approach to stage I seminoma patients varies considerably between European countries, such as Scandinavian countries and Spain. Long-term testicular cancer survivors are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly after treatment with chemo-and radiotherapies. (C) 2011 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.