Abstract |
A nationwide series of 422 patients with testicular germ cell cancer diagnosed in Finland in 1972-1983 was analysed. The age-adjusted incidence rate, although very low (1.6 per 10(5) male population per year), has increased compared to that in previous decades. The 3-year survival rate has improved markedly and was during the last part of the period high in patients with local (stage I) and regional (stages IIA-B) disease (100% for seminoma and over 90% for non- seminoma patients) but still fairly poor in advanced stages (stages IIC-IV) (58% for seminoma and 26% for non- seminoma patients). The improvement of the survival rate was most marked in non- seminoma patients below the median age (28.5 years). Cisplatin based chemotherapy was one of the major reasons for the improved prognosis, not only in non- seminoma patients but also in those with seminoma. There was no trend with time concerning the stage distribution of the disease. On the basis of relapse rates in stage I non- seminoma and seminoma patients staged surgically and clinically respectively, accuracy of clinical staging but not of surgical staging seemed to have improved. During the early period surgically staged stage I-II non- seminoma patients had a slightly better prognosis than clinical stage I-II patients but a similar difference was not observed during the cisplatin era.
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Authors | A Halme, P Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, T Lehtonen |
Journal | Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)
(Acta Oncol)
Vol. 28
Issue 6
Pg. 777-83
( 1989)
ISSN: 0284-186X [Print] England |
PMID | 2558693
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Topics |
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Combined Modality Therapy
- Dysgerminoma
(epidemiology)
- Finland
(epidemiology)
- Humans
- Incidence
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasm Staging
- Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal
(epidemiology, mortality, pathology, therapy)
- Survival Rate
- Testicular Neoplasms
(epidemiology, mortality, pathology, therapy)
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