The prevalence of avascular necrosis in patients treated with chemotherapy for testicular tumours

Br J Cancer. 2001 Nov 30;85(11):1624-6. doi: 10.1054/bjoc.2001.2155.

Abstract

To study the prevalence of avascular necrosis in patients receiving chemotherapy for testicular cancer we invited 103 consecutive patients treated by chemotherapy to attend for MRI scan of the hips. Four of 47 (9% (CI 2-20%)) patients scanned and 4/103 (3.8% (CI 1-10%)) of patients invited to participate in the study had evidence of avascular necrosis. As not all patients in the study had completed the at risk period this equates to a 3-year actuarial risk of 6.3% (95% confidence limits (CI) 2.4-16.1). These data suggest that avascular necrosis is an uncommon but significant complication of chemotherapy including steroids as anti-emetics.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / adverse effects*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use
  • Bleomycin / administration & dosage
  • Bleomycin / adverse effects
  • Carboplatin / administration & dosage
  • Carboplatin / adverse effects
  • Cisplatin / administration & dosage
  • Cisplatin / adverse effects
  • Drug Therapy / statistics & numerical data
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
  • Etoposide / administration & dosage
  • Etoposide / adverse effects
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteonecrosis / chemically induced*
  • Osteonecrosis / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Testicular Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Time Factors
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology
  • Vincristine / administration & dosage
  • Vincristine / adverse effects

Substances

  • Bleomycin
  • Vincristine
  • Etoposide
  • Carboplatin
  • Cisplatin