ANALYSIS OF HUMAN SPERM KARYOTYPES IN TESTICULAR CANCER-PATIENTS BEFORE AND AFTER CHEMOTHERAPY

Sperm karyotype analysis was performed on testicular cancer patients b efore and after treatment with BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplati n). A total of 788 sperm chromosome complements was studied, 236 befor e chemotherapy (CT) and 552 post-CT. There was no significant differen ce in the total frequency of sperm chromosomal abnormalities pre-CT (1 0.2%) compared to post-CT (10.7%). Similarly, there were no significan t differences in the frequencies of numerical abnormalities (2.5% pre- CT vs. 2.4% post-CT) or structural abnormalities (6.4% pre-CT vs. 7.4% post-CT). The percentage of X-bearing sperm was also not significantl y different before (46.3%) and after CT (50.1%). The results in cancer patients were not significantly different from those in control donor s. This study corroborates results from our previous analysis of these same men using multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization for asse ssment of aneuploidy for chromosomes 1, 12, X, Y, and XY. Together, th ese two studies suggest that the sperm of men receiving BEP chemothera py are not at increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities two or more years after treatment.