Journal
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
Volume 88, Issue 6, Pages 828-831Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6600771
Keywords
testicular intraepithelial neoplasia; testicular neoplasms; radiotherapy; spermatogonia; testicular biopsy; bilateral testcular neoplasms
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Low-dose radiotherapy to the testis is effective in eradicating testicular intraepithelial neoplasia (TIN, carcinoma in situ of the testis) at the risk of androgenic deficiency. The present trial was designed to define the lowest dose effective to control TIN assuming a dose-response relation of radiation-induced endocrinological damage. Patients with TIN in a solitary testicle or with bilateral TIN were treated with 18 Gy (14 patients) and 16 Gy (26 patients) (5 x 2 Gy per week). Biopsies to ascertain clearance of TIN were performed after 6 and 24 months. The median time of follow-up is 20.5 months. There were three adverse events. In one patient, relapse of TIN along with microinvasive seminoma was observed 2 years after 16 Gy irradiation. In two other patients, persistent spermatogonia were observed with the 16 and 18 Gy regimen after 6 and 24 months, respectively. All other post-treatment biopsies showed the Sertoli cell-only pattern. These results confirm that TIN is a radiosensitive lesion efficiently controlled in most cases with doses below 20 Gy. However, sporadic failures may occur. A dose of 16 Gy is probably unsafe and should no longer be used. Future investigations should not only focus on total dosage of irradiation but also on fractionation schedules. (C) 2003 Cancer Research UK.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available