MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION AFTER ADJUVANT CHEMOTHERAPY FOR RESECTED STAGE-II NONSEMINOMATOUS TESTICULAR CANCER

Although acute toxicity of cisplatin-based chemotherapy of germ cell t umors is considerable, major vascular complications have been reported infrequently. This report describes the case of a 36-year-old man dev eloping myocardial infarction after the first cycle of adjuvant cispla tin-based chemotherapy for resected stage II testicular cancer. A clos e temporal association between the administration of chemotherapy and the vascular event suggests a cause and effect relationship. A drug-in duced endothelial cell damage may be an important pathogenetic factor. Although reports on vascular accidents following treatment of testicu lar cancer raise concern with regard to the safety of chemotherapy, at present the very low incidence of such complications should not enter into therapeutic decisions.