The following is a summary of “Impact of testicular cancer stage on semen parameters in patients before orchiectomy,” published in the March 2023 issue of Urologic Oncology by Badia et al.

The objective is to examine the correlation between the composite stage and histology of testicular cancer and semen parameters in preorchiectomy cryopreservation samples. Semen parameter data, composite stage, and tumor histology were retrospectively gathered for patients who underwent sperm cryopreservation before orchiectomy for testicular cancer from 2006 to 2018. Stage I is classified as a localized disease in the medical field, while Stages II and III are categorized as metastatic. The 2010 semen parameter criteria established by the World Health Organization (WHO) were employed to classify laboratory values as normal or subnormal. The statistical analysis involved the comparison of categorical variables through Fisher’s exact test and continuous variables through the Mann-Whitney U test. About 38 individuals diagnosed with testicular cancer underwent cryopreservation before undergoing orchiectomy. 

The cohort’s median age (interquartile range) was 27 (23-32). About 4 individuals exhibited azoospermia, the absence of sperm in the semen. This condition was observed in 11% of the patients. No statistically significant variations were observed in the semen parameters among patients in Stage I versus those in Stage II/III or between patients with seminoma and those with non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCT). According to the WHO 2010 criteria, it was observed that 7 patients (18%) exhibited semen volume below the reference range, 18 patients (47%) had total sperm counts below the normal range, and 9 patients (24%) had motility percentages below the normal range. 

No significant correlation was observed between anomalous semen parameters and the histology or stage of the tumor. As per our current understanding, this study presents novel findings indicating that semen parameters remain consistent throughout various stages of testicular cancer. Previous research has demonstrated that postponing orchiectomy to cryopreserve sperm does not hurt oncologic outcomes. Irrespective of the stage or histological type, it is advisable to suggest sperm cryopreservation for individuals diagnosed with testicular cancer, whether localized or metastatic.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1078143922004379