Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 1, 416-420, Copyright © 1983 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Painful gynecomastia following cytotoxic therapy for testis cancer: a potentially favorable prognostic sign?
DL Trump and SA Anderson
Ninety-six patients who received cytotoxic chemotherapy for germ cell
neoplasms of the testis were studied. Painful gynecomastia developed in
eight patients (8%) between 6 and 24 weeks after the initiation of
cytotoxic therapy (mean 18 wk). Serum content of the beta subunit of human
chorionic gonadotropin was normal in each patient when gynecomastia
developed. Gynecomastia occurred following cytotoxic therapy for advanced
disease in seven patients, and one patient was receiving adjunctive drug
therapy for stage I disease. Six of the seven patients with advanced
disease were in complete remission when gynecomastia developed; survival
was superior in patients who developed treatment-related gynecomastia
compared to those patients who did not (p less than 0.05). Gynecomastia may
occur in adult males after cytotoxic therapy for testis cancer; such
gynecomastia does not necessarily indicate recurrent malignancy and may be
a favorable prognostic sign.
