what they said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

Testicular cancer can be treated just as effectively with a single drug treatment as with three weeks of radiation, a new study suggests.

The research, published in today's edition of the medical journal The Lancet, calls into question what has been the standard treatment for cancer of the testis for a half-century -- castration followed by intense radiation.

It also suggests that chemotherapy (drug therapy) could allow men to avoid castration altogether. "It is safe to risk less treatment," said Dr. Tim Oliver, a professor of medical oncology at the London School of Medicine.

Testicular cancer is rare, though it is the most common form of cancer among young men. It is usually diagnosed between the ages of 19 and 39

The original article can be found at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050722/HCANCER22/TPHealth

The original article can found in the Media Doctor archives.

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what we said (Hover the mouse cursor over underlined words for more info)

Generally, a good article on the effects of radiation vs. chemotherapy in the treatment of testicular cancer. One small area of confusion was that the length of the follow-up period was presented as five years in the article, yet the commentary in the Lancet said the study's "three year follow-up is inadequate". The reader would benefit from more detail on the nature and magnitude of any harms of treatment and knowing whether carboplatin is available in Canada and what it costs.

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