Testicular function after OPA/COMP chemotherapy without procarbazine in boys with Hodgkin's disease. Results in 25 patients of the DAL-HD-85 study

Gonadal function was evaluated in 25 boys treated for Hodgkin's disease according to the DAL-HD-85 protocol with OPA- or OPA/COMP-chemotherapy (vincristine-prednisone-adriamycine/cyclophosphamide-vincristine-m ethotrexate- prednisone). All boys were in first continuous complete remission for 6 to 45 months at chronological ages varying from 14.0 to 18.9 years. Testosterone, basal and GnRH-stimulated LH- and FSH-levels were measured. Gonadal function was normal in 16 patients treated with 2 cycles of OPA-chemotherapy in Hodgkin stages I-IIA. 9 patients were treated with 2 OPA- and 2 or 4 COMP-cycles of chemotherapy and had received mean cyclophosphamide doses ranging from 2004 to 3722 mg/m2. Again, no major testicular damage was noted, though some patients had increased stimulated LH-levels possibly indicating compensated Leydig cell-insufficiency. Our results demonstrate, that testicular function is not severely affected when patients are treated for Hodgkin's disease without procarbazine even if cyclophosphamide is given in cumulative doses below 3800 mg/m2. The previously documented severe testicular damage in boys treated according to the DAL-studies HD-78 and HD-82 is thus a result of the gonadotoxic action of procarbazine.