“This new research paper provides a practical solution to issues faced by men who have been treated for testicular cancer,” according to Ray McDermott, Clinical Professor of Medical Oncology at Tallaght University Hospital (TUH) and Clinical Lead at Cancer Trials Ireland.

“We are hoping that further studies will build on this knowledge and improve survivorship care as well as raising awareness among healthcare providers and survivors. 5 decades ago, testicular cancer patients emerged as pioneers in solid organ cure; now, they can become the pioneers in survivorship care.”

TUH researchers have recently made an important discovery for survivors of testicular cancer - the most common cancer in young men aged between 15 and 35. Their new paper has found that 5 years or more after their cancer treatment, these men are more likely to develop a range of other health problems like high blood pressure, cholesterol as well as lung and hormone-related complications. If left untreated, these issues could negatively impact their quality of life or cause serious illness. 

Given that some men are diagnosed in their late teens or early twenties, this can see them developing high blood pressure and cholesterol in their forties. This is much sooner than would be expected among their counterparts in the general population.

As a result, this research recommends that these patients be regularly screened at an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) led clinic, so that heart and other medical issues can be identified early and successfully treated,  preventing cardiac complications from developing. This new study from TUH on the long-term effects of testicular cancer and its treatment was published recently in the Supportive Care in Cancer monthly peer-reviewed medical journal.

TUH set up a dedicated ANP-led screening clinic in October 2022 after initial research in Norway and the USA found that men who had previously been treated for testicular cancer were dying much younger than expected. The clinic was established by Consultant Oncologist Raheel Khan, then working as a Registrar, and Oncology ANP Patrice Kearney Sheehan. 

The ANP-led Clinic is currently run on a weekly basis.  During their annual appointment, the men are screened for several potential health complications. The results formed the basis of this new research. All of the men who have joined the Testicular Cancer Survivor Clinic are at least five years on from their original diagnosis, with the average being 10 years post-treatment. To date, the specialist TUH Cancer Trials Unit along with the Oncology Department at the hospital has recruited 78 men who have all been diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer.

Consultant Oncologist Raheel Khan, who led the study with the support of his colleagues, explained that “these results are astonishing. We know from research carried out in recent years that men who have been successfully treated for testicular cancer die much younger than normal. Early screening can identify and successfully treat many of the complications they face, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This is particularly important when this research tells us that one of the men we studied had suffered a heart attack at the age of just 45. The study identifies the need for more specialist ANP-led survivor clinics.”