[Reversible germ cell toxicity following aggressive chemotherapy in patients with testicular tumors: results of a prospective study].

The impact of aggressive chemotherapy on reproductive and endocrine gonadal function was prospectively studied in 44 patients with germ cell tumors. Diagnostic procedures to determine gonadal toxicity consisted of hormone determinations, semen analyses, interviews with a standardized questionnaire, and gonadal histology. After chemotherapy all patients showed elevated serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and azoospermia due to germ cell and stem cell loss. Recovery of spermatogenesis, as indicated by normalization of serum FSH levels and sperm density, occurred in 77% of the patients 25-60 months after cessation of chemotherapy. In all patients serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) values remained within normal limits after therapy indicating resistance of Leydig cells to cytotoxic drugs. Three patients fathered four healthy children after completion of chemotherapy. These data suggest significant reproductive dysfunction in all men treated for germ cell tumors. However, most patients showed late and complete recovery of spermatogenesis. In contrast, endocrine gonadal function was unaffected after chemotherapy in all patients. FSH and LH are feasible markers to assess drug-induced gonadal toxicity.