The effect of testicular seminoma in semen quality

Although male subfertility has been reported in a variety of malignancies, most notably testicular carcinoma, the literature that refers to semen qual ity in males with testicular seminoma is very limited. This study was desig ned to evaluate the effect of testicular seminoma in semen quality and espe cially in its three main parameters. Semen specimens from 12 men, aged 24-3 8 years, with testicular seminoma before they underwent orchidectomy and ad juvant radiotherapy to the ipsilateral para-aortic and pelvic lymph nodes, and from 60 fertile men, aged 24-44 years, were studied. The results suppor t the view that testicular seminoma exerts a deleterious effect on spermato genesis and consequently to the three main parameters of the semen. The mec hanism though of the deleterious effect of seminoma on spermatogenesis rema ins unclear. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.