FAILURE ANALYSIS IN IRRADIATED STAGE-I TESTICULAR SEMINOMA - RESULTS OF LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP (1968-1993)

A retrospective analysis of 81 stage I seminoma patients irradiated at the Northern Israel Oncology Center between 1968 and 1993 was underta ken. During this period, 5 (6%) patients relapsed, all outside the ini tial treatment volume, with a median time of 6.6 (range 1-12) months t o relapse, Three patients were salvaged with cisplatin-based chemother apy. The policy of adjuvant radiotherapy resulted in a high probabilit y of cure and decreased relapse rate, Early relapse is a rare event in properly irradiated stage I seminoma which is highly curable with a c isplatin-containing regimen. Recurrences tend to occur outside the tre ated radiation volume.