Health-related quality of life in patients treated for testicular cancer.

Cross-sectional studies have shown that long-term health-related quality of life is satisfactory in the majority of testicular cancer patients, in spite of slight to moderate physical morbidity (sexual dysfunction, infertility) in at least a third of them. Modern risk-adapted treatment of testicular cancer patients will hopefully decrease the long-term sequelae furthermore. Prospective studies are needed to identify those patients at increased risk of developing major physical or psychosocial problems, and to study the role of medical and psychological intervention at an early phase of the clinical course in these patients. The long-term investigation and follow-up of testicular cancer survivors provide useful information on survivorship problems in cured cancer patients in general.