Semen cryopreservation after orchidectomy in men with testicular cancer

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of semen cryopreservation after orchidectomy in patients with testicular tumour. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The quality of semen samples was investigated in 36 men with testicular tumour (mean age 31.7 years, range 20-49) who were referred to our infertility centre for semen cryopreservation. For each patient, the number of straws, semen volume, number of spermatozoa, and sperm motility before and after freezing were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifteen patients (42%) banked sperm before and 21 (58%) after orchidectomy; the delay was >7 days in 19 patients (53%). The mean age, histological diagnosis and tumour stage did not differ significantly whatever the time of cryopreservation. Semen quality did not differ significantly in patients who cryopreserved sperm before or after orchidectomy and there were no significant differences in sperm values whatever the delay before preservation. Semen quality was the same in patients with seminoma or nonseminoma tumour. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that spermatogenesis of the contralateral testis is sufficient for successful semen cryopreservation after orchidectomy. Urologists should be encouraged to increase the awareness among oncology teams and patients about the new developments in preserving fertility for patients with cancer.     

Endocrine and exocrine profiles of men with testicular tumors before orchiectomy

In 15 patients with germ cell testicular tumors serum hormone profiles and semen analysis before orchiectomy were evaluated to determine the incidence of defective spermatogenesis associated with testicular tumors. Defective spermatogenesis was noted in 10 patients (66 per cent) on the basis of low sperm concentration, motility or semen volume. Of the 10 patients 7 had sperm concentrations less than 10 million per cc. Endocrine abnormalities occurred in 10 patients, the most common of which were elevations in serum human chorionic gonadotropin and estradiol, and a relative decrease in follicle-stimulating hormone. Three patients who presented with subfertile semen analyses were treated with orchiectomy alone. Repeat semen analyses 4 to 12 months after orchiectomy showed improvement in spermatogenesis and 2 patients achieved a normal semen analysis. Endocrine abnormalities and defective spermatogenesis are common in patients with testicular tumors. These abnormalities precede orchiectomy and imply that a primary germ cell defect exists in these patients.     

Delayed orchiectomy after chemotherapy in patients with advanced testicular cancer

Introduction: The therapeutic procedures in the management of testicular cancer are determined by histological findings in the removed testis and by the extent of the disease at the time of diagnosis. However, all advanced tumors could be treated by primary chemotherapy regardless of the histological findings. The current imaging techniques (ultrasound of the testis, abdominal and chest CT examination) and laboratory tests (determination of serum tumor markers AFP and hCG) provide sufficient evidence for the presence of cancer. When the diagnosis of advanced tumor is evident, it is possible to start the treatment without orchiectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the advantages of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy with delayed orchiectomy in the management of advanced testicular cancer. Material and methods: A total of 36 patients with advanced germ cell testicular cancer underwent primary PVB or BEP chemotherapy without previous orchiectomy. Mean age of patients was 32 years. Detailed medical, surgical and urological examination showed pulmonary metastases and/or extensive abdominal tumorous masses imitating acute abdominal crisis and impaired drainage of the kidney due to ureteral obstruction. Searching for the origin, testicular tumor was detected. Eleven patients had a bulky disease in the retroperitoneum (Stage IIC), two had enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes (Stage IIB), two had enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes (Stage III) and other 16 patients had also pulmonary metastases, and 5 pts had pulmonary metastases only. The patients were treated with cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy. Following completion of chemotherapy, orchiectomy was performed alone or simultaneously with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) and/or lung metastasectomy in cases with persistent residual mass. Following orchiectomy the patients were regularly checked and in cases with viable malignant tumor found in the testis sequential chemotherapy was administered. Similarly when the relapse of the disease was detected, the patients were treated with sequential chemotherapy. Results: Complete disappearance of metastases was observed in 12 patients following chemotherapy alone. The residual mass persisted in 24 patients (in 22 out of them in the retroperitoneum and in two patients also in the lungs) and was removed surgically. The viable tumor in the removed tissue was found in one patient. Delayed orchiectomy was performed simultaneously with surgical removal of residual mass in the retroperitoneum in 24 patients and as a separate procedure in 12 patients who have been considered to be complete responders following chemotherapy alone. Residual viable tumor in testicular specimen was found in three patients, necrotic or fibrotic tissue in 18, and mature teratoma in 15 patients. Overall survival of the patients was 26/36 (72.7%) at mean of 56.9 months (range 7–145 months, median 50 months) since the start of the treatment. Conclusions: In patients with advanced germ cell testicular cancer preference must be given to the early beginning of intensive chemotherapy without the need of tissue diagnosis of primary tumor that should be obtained by orchiectomy. Benefit of this therapeutic approach is the timely management of acute abdominal and/or pulmonary symptoms of life-threatening distant metastases. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Impact of testicular cancer stage on semen parameters in patients before orchiectomy

ObjectiveTo study the impact of testicular cancer composite stage and histology with semen parameters in preorchiectomy cryopreservation samples.MethodsWe retrospectively collected semen parameter data, composite stage, and tumor histology for patients who cryopreserved sperm prior to orchiectomy for testicular cancer between 2006 and 2018. Stage I was considered localized disease, and Stages II and III were considered metastatic disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 semen parameter criteria was used to characterize lab values as normal or subnormal. Categorical and continuous variables were compared using Fisher's exact and Mann Whitney U tests, respectively.ResultsThirty eight patients with testicular cancer underwent preorchiectomy cryopreservation. The median age (IQR) of our cohort was 27 (23-32). Four patients (11%) had azoospermia. No significant differences were found in these semen parameters between Stage I and Stage II/III patients or between seminoma and NSGCT patients. Per WHO 2010 criteria, 7 patients (18%) had abnormal (below reference range) semen volume, 18 patients (47%) had abnormal total sperm counts, and 9 patients (24%) had abnormal motility percentage. Abnormal semen parameters were not significantly associated with tumor histology or stage.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first study to show that semen parameters are similar across all stages of testicular cancer. Prior studies have shown that delaying orchiectomy to cryopreserving sperm does not negative affect oncological outcomes. As a result, regardless of staging or histology, sperm banking should be recommended for patients with both localized and metastatic testicular cancer.     

Semen quality and reproductive hormone levels in men from Southern Spain

In North European countries, a significant difference in semen quality among young men has been shown. Men from the western countries, Denmark, Germany and Norway, have lower semen quality than men from the eastern countries Finland, Estonia and Lithuania. Similarly, men in the western countries have a higher risk of testicular cancer. According to the testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) concept that suggests a link between risk of impaired semen quality and increased risk of testicular cancer, Spanish men would be expected to have a semen quality at a normal level because of their very low testis cancer risk. We therefore investigated 273 men from the Almeria region in the Southern Spain to test this hypothesis. The men delivered semen samples, underwent physical examinations, had a blood sample drawn and provided information on lifestyle and reproductive health parameters. The investigations took place from November 2001 to December 2002. Adjusting for effects of confounders, the median sperm concentration and total sperm count were 62 (95% confidence interval 47-82) million/mL and 206 (153-278) million, respectively. The median numbers of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa assessed according to strict criteria were 59% (57-62%) and 9.4% (8.6-10.0%), respectively. The median total testosterone and calculated free androgen index were 28 nm (26-30) and 95 (88-103), respectively. Assuming that the investigated men, to a large extent, are representative of the population of young men the Southern Spain, the results show that these have normal semen quality and reproductive hormone levels as expected in a population with a low incidence of testicular cancer.     

Semen quality and endocrine parameters after acute testicular torsion.

Of 16 postpubertal patients evaluated following testicular torsion 9 were treated with detorsion and bilateral orchiopexy (detorsion group), and 7 were treated with ipsilateral orchiectomy and contralateral orchiopexy (orchiectomy group). Each patient was evaluated with regard to semen quality, endocrine parameters (follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone) and the presence or absence of semen antisperm antibodies. These data were compared to similar data from a group of proved fertile semen donors. The semen quality in the detorsion group did not differ significantly from that of controls (p = 0.25) but follicle-stimulating hormone was significantly elevated compared with that of controls before and after stimulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The orchiectomy group, which had been subjected to prolonged torsion (mean 69 hours), demonstrated a significant decrease in semen quality compared with semen quality in controls (p = 0.001), with average sperm density of only 29.0 million per ml. Baseline and post-stimulation levels of follicle-stimulating hormone in the orchiectomy group were also significantly abnormal when compared with those in controls and in the detorsion group. Our study demonstrates that testicular damage (changes in semen quality and/or endocrine parameters) occurs in the ipsilateral and contralateral testis following torsion, regardless of treatment modality. However, with early intervention by detorsion and testicular salvage, subsequent semen quality is likely to remain within normal limits. Late surgical intervention, even with removal of the nonviable testes, may result in significant impairment of semen quality.     

Spermatogenesis after unilateral orchiectomy for testicular cancer in patients following surveillance policy

PURPOSE: Only limited information is available on the natural course of spermatogenesis in patients with testicular cancer who underwent unilateral orchiectomy and surveillance. We analyze long-term exocrine function of the remaining testicle in patients following surveillance policy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sperm counts and serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were available in 60 nonrelapsing cases approximately 3 weeks (baseline), 1 year and 2 years or greater after orchiectomy. Contralateral testicular cancer subsequently developed in 2 men. RESULTS: At baseline 36 patients were normospermic (10 or greater x 106/ml.), 7 were azoospermic and 17 were oligospermic. After 1 year 45 patients were normospermic. Mean sperm concentrations increased significantly from 26 to 39 x 106/ml. during year 1 after orchiectomy. Elevated serum FSH at baseline was associated with incomplete recovery of spermatogenesis, although sperm counts improved in 3 of 7 patients. Furthermore, in the 2 initially oligospermic patients with subsequent contralateral testicle cancer transient normospermia was observed after 1 year. After orchiectomy fatherhood was recorded in 28 men and was assisted by fertilization using fresh semen in 2. CONCLUSIONS: In nonrelapsing testicular cancer cases on surveillance, initially reduced spermatogenesis recovers during year 1 after orchiectomy especially if baseline serum FSH is normal. Transient recovery also occurs in patients in whom contralateral testicular cancer subsequently develops. In high risk patients and in initially oligospermic patients with plans for future fatherhood, the period of improved spermatogenesis may be used for multiple semen cryopreservations enabling subsequent assisted fertilization.     

精索静脉曲张不育患者手术前后血浆性激素变化

将６４例单纯精索静脉曲张源性不育患者随机分为手术组３３例与非手术组３１例，分别于术前及术后６个月测血浆卵泡刺激素（ＦＳＨ）、黄体生成素（ＬＨ）、睾酮（Ｔ），同时测４６名正常生育力男性性激素作为正常值对照，对两组不育患者还进行了睾丸体积测定和精液分析。手术组采用经髂窝腹膜外单纯精索内静脉高位结扎术。结果：６４例精索静脉曲张源性不育患者精子密度、精子存活率、睾丸体积低于正常组，ＦＳＨ、ＬＨ、Ｔ均在正常值范围，与正常组对照无明显差异。两组手术前后对照分析，手术组与非手术组手术前后血浆性激素虽无统计学差异，但手术组患者术后精液质量、睾丸体积明显改善，随访一年手术组妊娠率（２７％）显著高于非手术组（１３％）。术前ＦＳＨ较高的患者术后精液质量、睾丸体积无明显改善，而术前ＦＳＨ正常者有显著差异。认为，精索静脉曲张不育患者通过手术治疗确能提高其生育能力，而术前根据血浆ＦＳＨ、ＬＨ、Ｔ测定结合睾丸检查、精液分析可以初步估计睾丸受损程度，对手术预后的判断有一定参考价值。     

Testicular function after unilateral orchiectomy for cancer and before further treatment

Low sperm counts, low motility indices and a high number of abnormal sperm cells were found in 2/3 of 35 patients who were examined after unilateral orchiectomy for malignant germ cell tumour and before retroperitoneal surgery and/or chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Most of the patients also had slightly reduced serum testosterone levels. Cryopreservation of semen from these patients therefore appears to be of little value in most of the cases.     

Spermatogenesis and hormonal status after orchiectomy for cancer and before supplementary treatment

Low numbers of sperm cells (less than 20 million/ml), low motility indices (less than 40) and/or a high percentage of abnormal sperm cells (greater than 80%) were found in about half of 60 patients with testicular cancer after orchiectomy and before further treatment. There was no correlation between these findings and the patient's age, tumor histology or clinical stage. Relatively low serum testosterone values in the majority of patients and increased serum LH and FSH in some patients also indicated disturbed gonadal function at the time of fertility evaluation. The clinical significance of cryopreservation of sperm cells is therefore questionable in the majority of these patients. The demonstrated hypofertility after orchiectomy and before further treatment for testicular cancer may, however, be reversible at least in some patients. In patients with testicular cancer every attempt should be made to preserve the patients' fertility during the necessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, without a reduction in the high cure rate which is obtained by modern multimodal treatment of testicular cancer.     

Quality of life in patients with testicular cancer after high orchiectomy, radiation therapy or chemotherapy

We evaluated the physical or psychosocial states of testicular cancer patients receiving orchiectomy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy to assess their quality of life during and after treatment. The subjects were 33 post-treatment patients with testicular cancer who responded to the questionnaire we mailed to them. The quality of life score during chemotherapy showed a decrease, which was accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms induced by anti-cancer drugs. With regard to the difference in adjuvant treatment types, the surveillance group showed the highest score in the satisfaction of daily life. Moreover, married patients tended to be satisfied with daily life more than non-married patients. With regard to sexual or erectile function, scores of testicular cancer patients, especially in the retroperitoneal lymph node dissection group, were inferior to these of normal volunteers. In conclusion, the physical or psychosocial states after treatment for testicular cancer depend not only on treatment type but also marriage status.     

Semen and reproductive hormone parameters in fertile men with and without varicocele

Although varicoceles are a widely accepted identifiable male factor in infertile couples, the benefit of varicocele repair in improving pregnancy and live birth rates remains uncertain. The Study for Future Families obtained semen and reproductive hormone samples from US men whose partners were currently pregnant. In our analysis cohort of 709 men, a varicocele was detected by clinical examination in 56 (8%) of men. Men with varicocele had smaller left testis, and lower total and total motile sperm counts than men without varicocele. Gonadotropin levels were higher as well in men with varicocele. Interestingly, testosterone levels were also slightly higher in men with varicocele. Despite these differences, there was no difference between the groups in the time to achieve the study pregnancy or percentage of men with a previous pregnancy. We conclude that even in fertile men, varicoceles are associated with some degree of testicular hypofunction. This would support current recommendations to consider varicocele repair in male partners in infertile couples who demonstrate both a varicocele and abnormal semen parameters and after evaluation for treatable female factors.     

精索静脉曲张不育患者精子质量及其超微结构的研究

目的:研究精索静脉曲张不育患者精液质量及精子超微结构的变化。方法:不育伴精索静脉曲张患者118例作为实验组(VC组),正常自愿捐精者76例作为对照组,对其精液常规、精浆生化及外周血内分泌水平进行检测,并应用扫描和透射电镜技术对精子的超微结构进行观察。结果:VC组精液常规检查中,精子浓度、前向运动能力、存活率显著低于正常组(P<0.05),精液量、非前向运动能力无差异(P>0.05),精浆生化各项指标中,果糖浓度无显著差异,中性α-葡糖苷酶、锌离子浓度均显著低于正常组(P<0.05),外周血FSH、LH、T、E2水平均无统计学差异(P>0.05)。扫描电镜检查示正常形态精子比率低于对照组[(56.76±15.32)%vs(12.34±6.58)%,P<0.05],精子异常主要发生在头颈部,透射电镜检查示精子畸变以尖头为主,且伴有分化异常的复杂畸形。结论:VC可导致少-弱-畸精子症,进而引起不育,其原因可能是由于精浆微环境及超微结构的改变。     

Effect of orchiectomy on sperm functional aspects and semen oxidative stress in men with testicular tumours

To verify if quality of spermatozoa from men with testicular germ cell tumours is better before or after orchiectomy. This prospective study was carried out including 24 patients with testicular germ cell tumours, who provide one semen sample before they were submitted to unilateral orchiectomy and one other semen sample 30 days after the surgery. After collection by masturbation and liquefaction, an aliquot of the semen sample was used for semen analysis and another was used to evaluate sperm mitochondrial activity, DNA fragmentation and acrosome integrity. Seminal plasma was used to evaluate lipid peroxidation levels. Pre‐orchiectomy sample and post‐orchiectomy sample were compared using a paired Student's t test (normal distribution) or a paired Wilcoxon test, when appropriate (p ? 0.05). No significant difference was observed in semen analysis. A significant decrease in DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation and an increase in mitochondrial activity were observed after orchiectomy. Based on our findings, the semen quality from men with testicular germ cell tumours is better after orchiectomy.     

Semen quality of men with asymptomatic chlamydial infection

We have shown previously that the in vitro exposure of spermatozoa to elementary bodies (EBs) of Chlamydia trachomatis can lead to sperm death over a number of hours of incubation. As such, we have hypothesized that the ejaculates of men with a chlamydial infection could contain increased numbers of nonmotile (dead) spermatozoa if they are exposed to EBs prior to ejaculation. To test this hypothesis, the ejaculates of 642 men undergoing diagnostic semen analysis as part of ongoing infertility investigations with their partner were examined. All men were without symptoms of genitourinary infections and semen analysis was performed according to World Health Organisation (WHO) 1999 methods after a 3-5 day abstinence period. In addition to semen analysis, nested plasmid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was undertaken on the ejaculate to detect the presence of C trachomatis DNA. A total of 31 semen specimens (4.9%) were found to be positive, and in 28 of these, the diagnosis was confirmed using the ligase chain reaction (LCR). Men whose ejaculates were PCR positive for chlamydial DNA had a significantly (P <.05) higher mean concentration of leukocytes (1.71 +/- 2.20 x 10(6) per mL) and a higher mean ejaculate volume (3.45 +/- 1.52 mL) than in those whose ejaculates were PCR negative (leukocyte concentration: 0.67 +/- 2.59 x 10(6) per mL; volume 2.93 +/- 1.38 mL). Leukocytospermia was twice as common in men that were PCR positive for chlamydial DNA (P <.05) but it was not always associated with the presence of chlamydial DNA in semen. However, there was no difference in the mean percent motility between the 2 groups and the proportion of asthenozoospermia also did not differ. Because these results do not confirm the hypothesis proposed from our in vitro experiments, further work needs to be undertaken to understand whether human spermatozoa are actually exposed to elementary bodies of C trachomatis in an infected individual prior to ejaculation.     

Surveillance after orchiectomy for stage I testicular seminoma]

The results of treatment by orchiectomy and radiotherapy for stage I testicular seminoma are excellent with cure rates exceeding 95% and relapse rates less than 5%. However, after the development of successful surveillance programs for stage I nonseminomatous testicular cancers, the role of radiotherapy has been questioned by some authors and they proposed a "surveillance policy" for these patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of patients cured by orchiectomy alone, percentage who ultimately required therapy for occult metastases, site of recurrence, and over-all cure rate and treatment morbidity. And these data were compared with those of adjuvant radiotherapy group retrospectively. Twenty seven patients were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT group). Since 1986, 23 patients with stage I testicular seminoma entered the "surveillance only" protocol at our institution (S group) with a follow-up between 14 and 70 months (median 43 months). Informed consent for the policy of surveillance was obtained. Follow up consisted of physical examination, determination of serum tumor markers and chest X-ray bimonthly for 2 years, every 3 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 2 years and annually thereafter to 10 years. CT scans were performed every 4 months for 3 years, every 6 months for 2 years. Two patients in S group (8.7%) relapsed at 4 and 7 months after orchiectomy with nonbulky retroperitoneal disease (less than 5 cm in diameter), whereas only 1 (3.7%) irradiated patients did so after 4 months.     

Semen cahracteristics before and after ligation of the left internal spermatic veins in men with varicocele.

The semen from 20 men with varicocele was studied before and after surgical correction of the varicocele. The effect on sperm quality was only marginal and could not explain the fairly high conception rate (20%) after operation. The recommendation that varicocele in men with long-term infertility should be eliminated by ligation of the internal spermatic veins is still justified despite the absence of positive effects on sperm quality.