Cancer survivors' heart risk

Cancer survivors' heart risk

Testicular cancer is highly curable

Men cured of testicular cancer may be at greater risk of developing heart disease later in life, research suggests.

Experts believe that the toxic effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy - which are both used to treat testicular cancer - may cause heart damage.

A team from the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, focused on 992 men treated for the disease between 1982 and 1992.

More than 7% of men who were given radiotherapy and nearly 3.5% of men who received chemotherapy experienced heart problems in the eight years following treatment.

We need to continue to develop more effective, targeted treatments

Dr Robert Huddart

This compared with only 1.5% of men who had testicular cancer but did not receive these treatments.

Lead researcher Dr Robert Huddart, from the Institute of Cancer Research, said: "Treatment for testicular cancer is carefully tailored to each individual case and has a very high success rate, curing nine out of ten patients.

"However, the results of this study show that, over time, a small number of men will go on to develop heart problems.

"We need more research to discover why this should be, and to continue to develop more effective, targeted treatments."

Dr Huddart told BBC News Online that the reason why radiotherapy should increase the risk of heart disease was not clear.

He said the most common form of radiotherapy used to treat testicular cancer resulted in the heart being exposed to only a very small dose of radiation.

"It could be by a secondary mechanism such as effects on the kidney causing changes in blood pressure. but there is no clear answer," he said.

Dr Huddart added that two of the main chemotherapy drugs used in testis cancer treament could have direct effects on blood vessels.

"Surgery alone may be the safest approach, but for patients where the cancer has spread there is no choice other than to use chemotherapy and /or radiotherapy."

Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in young men, mostly affecting those between the ages of 20 and 35.

When caught early it has a 96% cure rate.

The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.