Serum creatinine and cholesterol levels of testicular cancer patients in long-term follow up.

PURPOSE: Most patients with advanced testicular cancer can be cured with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Therefore, the long-term effects of the treatment are clinically important. In the present study, we evaluated the serum creatinine and cholesterol levels of long-term survivors of testicular cancer.

METHODS: Serum creatinine and cholesterol levels were determined in 23 testicular cancer patients who had received cisplatin-based chemotherapy more than 5 years earlier. They were compared with a control group of 16 patients who did not receive chemotherapy. In addition, follow-up data of beyond 10 years after the initial treatment was obtained from 17 patients. We also analysed the trends of both serum creatinine and cholesterol determinations over 10 or more years using a generalized linear model.

RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the serum creatinine and cholesterol levels 5 years after the treatment between the chemotherapy and control groups. Analysis using a generalized linear model showed a significant trend toward an increase in serum creatinine in patients who had developed renal dysfunction during chemotherapy (P = 0.0024). The elevation of the serum creatinine level was mainly observed during the first 5 years. In addition, a significant trend toward an increase in serum cholesterol was revealed in both the chemotherapy and control groups.

CONCLUSION: Patients who have developed renal dysfunction during chemotherapy may be at risk of gradually increasing serum creatinine levels even after it has become normal. Although further analysis is needed, we recommend long-term follow up in the survivors of metastatic testicular cancer patients treated with cisplatin-based chemotherapy.